<p>Loved the Whiffenpoofs (but also really love Mika’s version of this song) and interpreted their intro as a tad cocky, sorta true, and tongue-in-cheek. Fits the whole white tie & tails ivy persona… I wasn’t at all put off by it, part of their charm IMO.</p>
<p>Look up Mika’s version of Grace Kelly on YouTube (I know better than to post a link ;-))</p>
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Totally agree; I thought she had pitch problems and the song was too low for her, and thought they were the weakest link in that group. But what a FANTASTIC show, and a great chance to hear so many groups! I wish that they would have the groups sing a different type of a cappella music each week (traditional choral, country western, pop, gospel,etc.) and let them all compete - then pick a winner at the end. I hate, hate, hate, the “loser has to go home” deal! There should be no losers here - they are all making pretty terrific music!!!<br>
P.S. I think I watched it on HULU with limited commercials. Love it!)</p>
<p>I thought the entire group (including the losers) in the second hour was better than anyone in the first hour. I know nothing about music, but I didn’t like the Whiffenpoofs at all. I also didn’t care for the group of music teachers. </p>
<p>I liked the Beyoncee song, but you get more “points” with me if you have more than one “lead” person. I like to really “hear” at least 2-3 of the voices. I didn’t know it is on again tonight! I need to set my DVR.</p>
<p>I found the host’s constant reference to having the “best” a cappella groups in the country on the show rather amusing. :rolleyes: There are certainly some terrific groups on the show, but I’ve also heard as good or better at college festivals. I do realize that a cappella is a new concept for many people.</p>
<p>I thought the Berklee “promo” (surely these must be edited) set them up for their result-it’s almost like predicting a “whodunnit.” Choosing to highlight the aspect of the Whiffs promo where they said that a cappella had been founded at Yale over 100 years ago set them up to be “zinged” later. I don’t think that Jerry Lawson belongs on the show-how can the judges be anything but deferential to him? I thought they were going to trip over each other in complimenting him.</p>
<p>I see the judges here as analogous to the Idol judges. Ben Folds is Simon without the harshness, Nicole is Paula with the ditziness, and Shawn is Randy with his hyped up “you nailed it dog,” “that was dope” type of commenting. </p>
<p>Nonetheless, love the show and will not miss it as all 3 of my kids have been involved in a cappella.</p>
<p>When/where/on what station is this aired?</p>
<p>NBC, jym.</p>
<p>[The</a> Sing Off - NBC Site](<a href=“http://www.nbc.com/sing-off/]The”>http://www.nbc.com/sing-off/)</p>
<p>Darn it - they voted off the Whiffenpoofs and kept on several groups I didn’t like as much. I’m not a fan of the LA group…</p>
<p>anxiousmom, I’m also surprised that the Whiffs were voted off. There’s one group I thought deserved the boot before the Whiffs got it.</p>
<p>From the previews of their next weeks song I really liked the sound of the Nashville group. I didn’t hear most of them tonight as I was yakking on the phone. Probably won’t catch up with my DVR till the weekend. </p>
<p>I did catch the Whiffenpoof’s tonight and did not like their performance nearly a much as in the first show. But I missed the rest so can’t really compare.</p>
<p>When I saw their first performance I thought they’d win the entire thing.</p>
<p>My jaw is still dropped. I can’t believe they got the boot so early.</p>
<p>Given the performances (which were all amazing in their own rights) of the others in the Whiffenpoof’s group, I thought they were the “weakest” . But in reality they were all incredible!!! The talent on this show is just amazing.</p>
<p>I have to think the old guys- can’t remember the name - are just there for sentimental reasons. I thought their performance was a real snooze fest compared to the others - they just don’t belong. I would have kept the high school group over them. </p>
<p>I thought the Whiffs were the worst last week so not surprised they are gone.</p>
<p>I think the reason the Whiffenpoof’s were voted off is because they don’t have a “commercial” enough sound for a Sony Records Label contract, that is going to the winners. The remaining groups still in contention seem to have a more marketable sound.</p>
<p>Maybe. I also think the Whiffenpoof’s had some very strange choreography going on. It was hard for me to listen to them while the distracting gesturing was going on. I think the same is true about the music-teacher group. I like all the others. Great show!</p>
<p>Many of the remaining groups have such distinctive sounds and styles, so it’s going to be just a matter of preference in the end, I think. The music teacher’s group does “jazz” so very well, but it’s very distinctive. And “Committed” has such an incredible blend and balance while being such strong individual vocalists; Then the “street corner symphony” guys are also amazing…</p>
<p>My guess is, even though I REALLY enjoy them, that the On the Rocks guys might go next…</p>
<p>I read in the Yale Daily News (or somewhere) that the Whiffs felt that they’d been cast as the “bad guys” in the contest.</p>
<p>There is a germ of truth in the claim that the Whiffs “invented” a capella singing–there were certainly other similar kinds of singing before they were formed, but they really were, as far as I know, the first of this kind of a capella group.</p>
<p>Also, the Whiffs are all seniors who have been selected from other Yale singing groups, so it’s not surprising that they’re a bit arrogant about it. They are pretty big deals at Yale.</p>
<p>The Wiffenpoofs stated themselves that they are more of a traditional choral group rather than a contemporary a cappella group. They don’t have singers who sing percussion or other instruments-that may explain why they were eliminated in spite of giving very strong performances.</p>
<p>The Whiffs essentially invented collegiate a cappella. They didn’t invent southern shape-note singing, or chain-gang chants, or spirituals, or Gregorian chants, or madrigals, or the music of Palestrina, etc. And while the Whiffs almost certainly had some influence on artists like the Mills Brothers, and through them on the Persuasions, doo-wop and their progeny, the Whiffs’ modern sound owes as much to others as it does to earlier generations of Whiffs. I didn’t hear them singing “Aj, Lucka, Lucka” on TV. They do retain a certain continuity with past styles that others don’t – for most of the other groups, a cappella might just as well have started with The Manhattan Transfer (which lifted some Whiffs arrangements wholesale) and Lambert, Hendricks & Ross – and that made them odd ducks in this competition. </p>
<p>Their intro piece was certainly edited to make them look arrogant, and Shawn Stockman did tell them off about it, whether or not it was justified. There is at least one weaker group left in the competition, and several who are a lot less interesting, but they were a curiosity, and they were never going to last beyond the next round. Apart from the issues of beat-boxing (which I bet they have in their repertoire) and instrument imitation (which they have done for years), it’s absolutely true that their leads are great for future lawyers and biomedical researchers but way below the pros who are in most of the other groups. Also, their song choice for this round was awful. And could the pitch not have stopped conducting when he was behind everyone and none of the others could see him?</p>
<p>And why – WHY?!? – owning one of the great farewell songs in the entire American songbook as their signature, did they choose to walk offstage singing Motley Crue or whatever that was? If they were going, why not go as the Whiffenpoofs?</p>
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<p>Interesting that they would choose not to do this in this type of competition. They specifically stated in their filmed piece that they do not beatbox-and this was said with a little bit of a condescending tone, imo, which I thought might hurt them after the way they came off last show.</p>
<p>The only thing this show lacks is suspense. We already know the next group to go (On The Rocks – the weakest group left by a mile and a half). We know that Committed, and almost certainly Street Corner Symphony, the groups that combine great voices with great marketability, will be in the final. So I’m left to wonder whether the judges will have the guts to vote out Jerry Lawson, or whether they make the public do it, and if they do whether they choose the ultra-professional but oldish and niche-y jazz group or the semi-pro made-for TV Beverly Hills 90210s to serve as sacrificial lambs in the final. (I’m assuming the final is three groups. If it’s two, then the suspense is limited to the order in which they go from 5 to 2.)</p>