<p>soozie: No one technically has a record contract now. But several of the groups are led by people who have had record contracts in the past, including one person who was a member of The Persuasions for 30 years, and others have self-released records on a regular basis.</p>
<p>The 10-person rule was clearly waived for the Whiffenpoofs (14) and the Oregon group (looks like an army). Most of the groups have been below 10, however, and four of the remaining six have six or fewer.</p>
<p>Yale doesn’t own the Whiffenpoofs name. The Whiffenpoofs do. They can do whatever they want with it.</p>
<p>JHS, thanks. I just thought that contestants could not have a previous record contract, but I may be mistaken. The contract my D had to sign for Sing Off was very extensive and I thought this was part of it. I am not including self released albums. My D’s group have those too.</p>
<p>I didn’t realize that this year has some groups over 10 people. The contract was very specific of no more than ten members which is why my D’s group and other groups that are larger (many college a capella groups have more than 10) cut their group down for the Sing Off. They made an exception for the Tufts Beezelbubs last year and based on what you are saying, did that again this year. In my view, if one group was allowed more than 10, all should have been. Beezelbubs claim that their arrangements, etc. were for a group larger than ten is true of many other groups, including my own D’s group.</p>
<p>Agree that the college doesn’t own the name. My D’s group, for example, when they were entered last year for Sing Off, were recent alums and maintained the group’s name but did not use the college name. The group is a club/organization.</p>
<p>Actually, I realize I have all the extensive contracts my D had to sign last year for Sing Off on my computer desktop. I now see (if I can understand reams of pages of legal talk) that there wasn’t a restriction for having previous recording contracts but I think you could not have one during the period of time of the Sing Off contract. That would explain why some contestants have had professional record contracts in the past. Thought I would clear that up. </p>
<p>It does say no more than ten members, however. :D</p>
<p>It’s interesting, though, because I suspect the top four groups (or four of the top five) will have only six members apiece. You can put that down to the judges liking a warmer, simpler, more individuated style, or to the fact that at this point the smaller groups are all more experienced and more professional, and in fact have better voices. The winner last year, too, was pretty much the smallest group in the competition.</p>
<p>I counted in the screen-shot pictures. The Whiffenpoofs, who have 14 members, only brought 12 for their shows. On The Rocks, the University of Oregon group, has 15 people singing, and the Berklee group had 12.</p>
<p>^^^I agree. The Whiffenpoofs just ended up sounding like your typical men’s choir to me-I thought it was the arrangements, but perhaps it’s just because they had so many people, versus the other really good groups, who manage to do great performances with so fewer people.</p>
<p>Am trying to play catch up here since I missed all of last week.</p>
<p>I so much appreciate Ben Folds as a judge; it might help also that one of my favorite songs that my daughter’s a cappella group did was Trusted by Ben Folds. </p>
<p>Also, I saw that Committed must have done Apologize last week. D’s group also did that a couple of years ago.</p>
<p>So far tonight, I’d say my favorite group is Street Corner Symphony… this is after round one.</p>
<p>I lOVE Street Corner Symphony, and I thought COMMITTED did a terrific job with “I’ll be watching you -every breath you take…” I couldn’t believe the judges didn’t love it too, but I guess they were all supposed to be rocking out - - I thought the judges were a little hard on them…</p>
<p>Funny how we all have different taste. I did not like either of Groove for thoughts performances at all tonight. So I was really hoping they would be the ones to go.</p>
<p>Committed and Street corner symphony are leading the pack for me. (I don’t really count Jerry Lawson). And I enjoy On the Rocks, they are fun. Tonight is the first time i have really enjoyed The Backbeats. Liked their first performance tonight, not so much the second.</p>
<p>It IS funny how different people’s tastes are:</p>
<p>I have been almost underwhelmed with Back Beat—they just seem to predictable to me I think—UNTIL they did Love Shack. I thought that was great. I was very much ready for them to be gone until they did that.</p>
<p>I LOVED the talents and the jazz sounds of Groove for Thought, but I understand why they left. I hate that the young singer made such an obvious mistake in their first song, but I think they left because they just did not show enough diversity in their arrangement styles. </p>
<p>Street Corner Symphony and Committed are also the leaders for me. I LOVE Jerry Lawson’s group, but I kind of think this is an apples/oranges comparison that is not exactly fair. No way, IMO, those judges are going to vote “Mr Lawson” off, so that’s one spot in the finale that is pretty much taken up automatically. At least that is my prediction…</p>
<p>I was pretty surprised that Groove For Thought was kicked off and On The Rocks stayed. On The Rocks isn’t in the same league, musically . . . although the GFT singer in the first song had pretty much the worst break anyone had had yet in the competition. I would have kept GFT and booted OTR on quality grounds, and also because (a) the competition risks turning into a testosterone fest, so it would have been nice to have three more women on stage for another show, and (b) GFT legitimately has a different style than any of the other groups, while OTR and Backbeats pretty much represent the same contemporary collegiate style (and Backbeats’ semi-pros do it better).</p>
<p>But, of course, I’m not a judge. And maybe it’s all part of the conspiracy to ensure Jerry Lawson a spot in the finals, since honestly I thought GFT was the group that would challenge him for it.</p>
<p>Anyway – everyone’s second song was better than their first songs last night. The “rock” idea was a bad one, or a bad one for these groups, other than OTR, who made satisfying cheese out of the cheesy Def Leppard. Also – it was weird that every group had its second- (or third-) best soloist on its first song. Was that some undisclosed rule? I’ll bet it was.</p>
<p>I’m a bit of a dissenter on Street Corner Symphony. Their voices sound great together, no doubt. They are thoroughly professional. But they are so mainstream it hurts. And their arrangements are way less interesting than anyone else’s. Which means that they are probably the most commercial group in the competition, and could easily win it, but that won’t make me especially happy.</p>
<p>M D called to tell me to watch this and tape it for her because some of her USC friends are in the Backbeats. I watched and they were good (her pal Kenton is adorable) but I LOVED the Street Corner Symphony.</p>
<p>I agree that Groove for Thought had to go. They are great and have a lovely smooth jazzy style, but didn’t vary their style as necessary. I do think that OTR will be the next to go. I am not particularly happy that Jerry Lawson and TOTT is even involved in this competition and worry that the judges will hive them a free pass to the finals. I still do love the smaller groups, Committed and Street Corner Symphony. I love hearing the individual voices and the bland. I think that the larger groups sound like “mush” at times. Technical word, I know. ;)</p>
<p>On the one hand, I still think letting in seasoned pros like Jerry Lawson is sort of against the spirit of the competition. On the other hand, letting in a group that was formed explicitly to be on this show seems like a slap in the face to all the groups out there that have spent years developing a sound and style. On the third hand, their styles are are all so different I have a hard time deciding who is best.</p>
<p>I did think Groove For Thought was the worst last night - too many mistakes. I didn’t like the Backbeat’s “Love Shack” either.</p>
<p>I think JHS’ original analysis is still spot on - the judges are too afraid to vote Jerry Lawson off so they will let America do it, and it will come down to Street Corner Symphony and Committed.</p>
<p>I’m another rooting for Street Corner Symphony and Committed to be the final two. They continue to deliver my favorite performances. I also like the Backbeats, but just don’t think they will beat either of the above. Jerry Lawson and TOTT have certainly got talent, but I still find them one dimensional and, personally, I want this to be about finding new talent, not older, reborn talent.</p>
<p>I watched two shows in one on Monday and Tuesday because I didn’t realize Sing-off was already on again for its 2nd season. I am another one that loves this show, except I’m thinking they should consider splitting this show into a college group (auditions and show taped during the summer to play in the fall, kind of like an ICCA competition that is public) and another that is shot in the fall to be shown now that includes all groups, including alumni of college groups.</p>
<p>I watched some of the college groups online over the last year, and have to say that the original Berklee group that took 2nd at the ICCA’s was phenomenol compared to other college groups over the last year. Since the group only formed in 2006, it’s founding leaders are now long gone, and because all college groups lose members each year, it makes sense that Pitch Slapped has different people in their group now than who I saw online last winter. The dark-hair male lead was phenomenol, and the new lead is good, but not year where the other guy was for the same song. I think Pitch Slapped’s name (ugh) is offensive to the non-college crowd, and they over-acted the song I saw on TV, so in the end they got booted off. </p>
<p>Anyway … can’t wait to watch more Sing-Off. What a great idea for a show … upbeat, fun, and talented. </p>
<p>p.s. I agree with another poster that said no one should be voted off … I want to see all these group sing 3 or more songs so I can see their full personalities.</p>