Author |
Message |
Texannie
Member
07-16-2001
| Friday, December 21, 2007 - 8:54 am
On 'Clash of the Choirs,' Team LaBelle sings the blues by ELLEN GRAY Daily News Television Critic 215-854-5950 'WE ARE THE Champions"? Well, not quite. Despite that last hopeful song choice, Philadelphia's own Team LaBelle went far, but not quite far enough, last night as NBC's four-night sing-a-thon "Clash of the Choirs" ended in a second-place finish for the 20-member local group selected – and then whipped into shape – by singer Patti LaBelle. The winner? A choir from Cincinnati, led by singer Nick Lachey. Yes, Philly, we lost to Jessica Simpson's ex-husband. And it's going to seem like sour grapes, but from where we were sitting, Lachey's "choir" seemed like a backup group, chosen as much for appearance as for vocals (and indeed, he promised the other night that if his singers won, they'd get a backup gig on his next album). LaBelle, meanwhile, was promising last night to perform with her choir on New Year's Eve - a plan that appeared to take the singers by surprise. "They need to go on tour with me," LaBelle said in a phone interview last night after the show. "We're going to be in Caesars in Atlantic City" on New Year's Eve. The Phillies called, she said, to see if the choir would perform the National Anthem. "They're going to go higher, do you hear me? And so am I," said LaBelle, who admitted she was surprised to have lost, since her fellow celebrity "choir masters" had all predicted a Team LaBelle victory. "I learned to grow up in that second. It just made me a bigger person. It made me feel like a champion," she said. But a not-undisappointed champion, perhaps. "I thought it was about singing, not popularity," she said. If there's good news for those of us who spent two hours to learn a result that had been determined before the first note was sung last night (though the viewers' votes could've been discerned by the order in which the remaining choirs performed), it's that one or both of LaBelle's charities - the Abramson Cancer Center at the University of Pennsylvania, and a cancer-screening program called With Our Voices -will still presumably share $50,000. The money was kicked in by NBC parent GE, which announced at the last minute that it was donating that amount in the names of each of the losing teams, including those led by Houston's Kelly Rowland, New Haven's Michael Bolton and Oklahoma City's Blake Shelton. The $250,000 first prize, meanwhile, was revealed to be product placement – donated by Sony Pictures to promote a film, "First Sunday," that stars "30 Rock's" Tracy Morgan, who also announced last night's winner On_Clash_of_the_Choirs__Team_LaBelle_sings_the_blues
|
Texannie
Member
07-16-2001
| Friday, December 21, 2007 - 9:00 am
"I thought it was about singing, not popularity," she said. it was, Miss Labelle, that's why you lost.

|
Escapee
Member
06-15-2004
| Friday, December 21, 2007 - 9:09 am
I am sure Labelle thought she should won because of her popularity and past musical experience. It's a shame that she went all "Diva" on everyone and pulled and Eddie Murphy/Faith Hill. She should have been giving kudos to Nick instead of still making it about her. Sad, but not surprising.
|
Prisonerno6
Member
08-31-2002
| Friday, December 21, 2007 - 9:31 am
It's a shame that the leader of the team that didn't win can't simply give kudos to the team that did without implying they didn't deserve to win. I find the things Ms. LaBelle is being quoted as saying to be poor sportsmanship at its worst, and as bad, if not worse, than anything that has been said about her choir here. Personally, although I enjoy Patti LaBelle and thought her choir did an excellent job (with the exception of We Are the Champions, which was just horrid, in my opinion), I think Nick Lachey did a better job with his choir. Their voices melded better, in my opinion, and they showed greater versatility in their songs. I think his choir experience, and experince singing with a group, showed through.
|
Mocha
Member
08-12-2001
| Friday, December 21, 2007 - 9:44 am
Happy bout Nick's team win. I would've been happy with either of them winning. I thought Team Bolton was horrible. Omg they sounded a hot mess last night.
|
Kookliebird
Member
08-04-2005
| Friday, December 21, 2007 - 12:26 pm
I thought that vocally Nick's group was more pleasing to listen too. So, I don't know where they get that Nick won it because he was more popular. That's a cop out. However, I have to say that, last night, Kelly Rowlands group was also very good. I missed the first night, but thought that her group should have been in the final 3 instead of Blakes.
|
Kc103
Member
07-13-2004
| Friday, December 21, 2007 - 1:31 pm
Wow, I'm so disappointed after reading some of Patti LaBelle's quotes posted on here today. If Miss LaBelle knew it was just a "popularity contest" why did she become involved with the show at all? With her notarity, she could probably raise a lot of money for her charity through a variety of other avenues. Maybe she went into the show feeling that no one had a chance against her? That's a real shame if that's the case! It's sad that she made such a flippant comment about age too. My first thought when reading that was that I find it rather surprising that a women with all life's experiences of age 63 was unable to accept a loss on a TV show with grace. Congratulations to Team Lachey. IMO they were deserving of a win. I thought they showed great use of all their voices together, versatility and feeling in their performances, and even some humor. This was such a "feel good" show of the holiday season for me. Every choir member should feel good about what they accomplished and how they helped their communities. It was so nice to see something purely positive...and also highly entertaining. That's what I choose to remember about this series.
|
Kc103
Member
07-13-2004
| Friday, December 21, 2007 - 1:35 pm
Sun, I just read your post after I finished mine. Yes, I found that really odd. The first night P. LaBelle made that comment about the "white man" singing, I looked over at my mom and said, "I don't believe she just said that. Yet no one will see anything wrong with it or say anything to her about it." No, I didn't like some of the singing and dancing comments directed in that area. JMO they were not very appropriate.
|
Texannie
Member
07-16-2001
| Friday, December 21, 2007 - 1:38 pm
That comment really bothered me too and if it had been the other way around, Nick would have been skewered! i think Miss Labelle thought she was the popular one.
|
Mocha
Member
08-12-2001
| Friday, December 21, 2007 - 5:09 pm
I didn't hear the comment. What was the total comment? And in all actuality out of the folks there Patti was the star. Far as I'm concerned the only real star.
|
Dovez
Member
08-27-2005
| Friday, December 21, 2007 - 6:44 pm
mocha, patti said that the white singer who did the solos in bolton's choir sings like a black man. i believe that the direct quote was, "you're a white man who sings like a black man." i could be wrong about the quote but i remember that i was a bit uncomfortable with it, too.
|
Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Friday, December 21, 2007 - 7:17 pm
Patti DID say that, but the guy's choir director (and I can't remember which one it was, but I'm thinking it was Michael Bolton, said it first to the same man, so when Patti said it I thought it was a little bit odd, but I thought she had picked it up from whoever said it in the clip (Michael, I'm thinking). It still bothered me, since it carried stereotypical implications. As for the remarks reported here, that is somewhat disappointing. I'm not 63, but I'm 61, clearly Patti was the biggest "name" there.. ok I suppose along with Michael Bolton.. personally I'm not crazy about either of them when they over do the singing, same with Celine Dion, but all three clearly are major talents. Anyway, I don't think I'd even know who Nick Lachey was by name.. yeah I knew his group because I bought CDs for a young lady when she was very early in her teens. And I only knew how to pronounce his last name from hearing it on the news lately. I'm pretty sure the country singer who mispronounced the name was doing it on purpose as a joke.. Anyway, calling him 2 was not helpful and ironically he is 9 years older than Kelly Rowland.. but I guess because she had the good grace not to win, that was ok. Personally I mostly listened to them and missed out on some of the visuals (like the shorts or hot pants, I still have no idea who was wearing those, and evidently missed some poignant moments as well.. I DID look up and note that Nick Lachey had done a nice job of training his singers to also move together in a coordinated way, which I thought was also a good thing.) Anyway, my votes were based on what seemed to me to be the best package of a choir, not on looks, city, who was the leader, etc. Mocha, Patti was the star, but that wasn't what this show was about, being about the choirs. It did seem odd that when she announced the NYE gig, her choir seemed taken by surprise.. one would think that would mean lots of changed famiily plans and someone coming up with some reservations, unless they expect them to drive over to Atlantic City, perform and drive back, not to mention rehearsals. LOL.. not that I doubt those people won't bust their butts to participate!
|
Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Friday, December 21, 2007 - 7:18 pm
RMAO.. I just looked where I looked up Nick Lachey's age and found out he was in 98°, not Back Street Boys!
|
Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Friday, December 21, 2007 - 7:23 pm
For anyone who missed parts of this, I get 164 hits on Youtube on Clash of the Choirs..
|
Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Friday, December 21, 2007 - 7:37 pm
Hmm, I read on TWOP that Nick said his choir will be on his new album.
|
Zummat
Member
01-31-2006
| Friday, December 21, 2007 - 8:02 pm
I would have been happy if either won. But I think people were not only voting for who they thought had the best choir but maybe for the charity the celebrity was there for. I think Nick's choir was much more diverse in their picks of songs and the bumble bee song was so much fun and showed how really talented the singers were. I think Patti's choir was the best the first night out but after that I didn't care as much for the arrangements they did. Plus they did a lot of screaming singing and I don't like that at all, makes me cringe. I hope they make this an annual event.
|
Biscottiii
Member
05-29-2004
| Saturday, December 22, 2007 - 4:17 am
Frankly, I haven't watched (have one night taped but yet to watch). But after reading here, I had to see for myself the "Flight of the Bumblebee". Wow, what FUN! No wonder his team won. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDZAQ-W31jo Clash of the Choirs (HD) Day 3 Team Lachey Lachey Sings there first song of the night.
|
Chiliwilli
Member
09-04-2006
| Saturday, December 22, 2007 - 5:00 am
I don't know why Patti LaBelle is supposed to be a "bigger" star than the rest of them. She's older? Been in the business longer? They are all stars or they wouldn't be there. The screaming singing would have kept me from voting for the LaBelle choir also. I can't stand that kind of "singing" myself. I too thought possibly America was voting for the charity of their choice as much as for the choir. I never paid much attention to Lachey before because he was married to Simpson and supposed to be "Mr. Jessica" or something. But I really, really liked him on this and he seems like a real sweet guy.
|
Alisons
Member
01-10-2003
| Saturday, December 22, 2007 - 7:17 am
I think this was in part the choir's performance, in part the feeling toward the celebrity leading them, and also in part about which charity people related to the most. <100>
|
Texannie
Member
07-16-2001
| Saturday, December 22, 2007 - 7:47 am
I agree, people vote for their favorite for all sorts of reason. It's that way with all the voting talent shows. No big deal. What bothered me was the assumption by Miss Labelle (imho)that she was going to be the winner.
|
Mocha
Member
08-12-2001
| Saturday, December 22, 2007 - 9:04 am
Dovez thx. And I have no problem with that comment. It's actually a compliment to me. To me it means he sounds like he's got soul. I say that all the time bout Teena Marie who I do not think is white, she's just light skinned black lol. But whatever yall have yalls own opinions...
|
Cricket
Member
08-05-2002
| Saturday, December 22, 2007 - 9:17 am
"I thought it was about singing, not popularity," she said. it was, Miss Labelle, that's why you lost. Exactly, Texannie! If anyone's group were backup singers (per the writer of that article) it was Patti's group. She also more or less had a sololist or two and the others sang backup, while Nick's group had voices that blended exceptionally well when singing all together as a choir.
|
Reader234
Member
08-13-2000
| Saturday, December 22, 2007 - 12:54 pm
ITA Texannie and Cricket - and Mocha I think you hit it right "soul" I was trying to explain to dh about Patti - she was so AWESOME - she was singing in a choir - with so much heart and soul, it reminded me (but of course none can compare) to a great Church Choir n the South - I dont mean to be disrespectful - but the churches that I feel the most heartwarming soul have had the strong sound that MS Patti captured - it wasnt over the top - it was in the sound of the choir with the soul of a singer!!
|
Dovez
Member
08-27-2005
| Saturday, December 22, 2007 - 1:51 pm
my dh and i were having that conversation during the performances. he is quite the gospel choir fan, even had gospel tapes in his glove compartment on our first date...hmmm. he liked patti's choir for those reasons and i was more into the nick's type of musical arrangements.
|
Trini
Member
07-06-2004
| Saturday, December 22, 2007 - 2:21 pm
quote:The screaming singing would have kept me from voting for the LaBelle choir also. I can't stand that kind of "singing" myself. I thought I was the only one finding that uncomfortable.
|
|