Idina Menzel sings duet with Ray Charles on his NEW CD release!- Page 2

[JerseyGirl2]

Posted: 9/12/05 at 3:32pm

I thought the arrangement was pretty bad. No one seemed to come together in the beginning. But when it came to her solo, I thought she sang beautifully. And I think those were grey pants, not sweats. They obviously could have used a little more practice.

[BroadwayGirl107]

Posted: 9/12/05 at 3:36pm

redhot, So because the arrangement of the song (which she did not arrange) was terrible and you didn't like her outfit HER performance was terrible? I see.

TennesseeTwang, it's good to see you assume all Idina fans are ignorant littel girls. I knew who Ray Charles was long before he died, thank you. So did many of her other fans.

Also, I'm betting Idina did not record this wth Ray. I feel as though she's be talking about it at her concerts or anywhere that she got to sing with ray Charles (though, you never know. She fails to mention some pretty big things all the time...like winning a Tony). Not to mention the fact that before he died, she was hardly anyone they'd go get to sing on this CD. Her name is starting to get out there slowly now, but before Ray died, not so much.
Updated On: 9/12/05 at 03:36 PM

[JerseyGirl2]

Posted: 9/12/05 at 3:44pm

I think Tennessee was speaking about a specific group of I<3Idina fans. Not in general. At least I hope not.

The article I read said that each duet was chosen before Ray passed away. He chose who he would perform with. It just never went on to mention that he wasn't able to record with them before he died. I would take from that that he chose Idina. Who knows?

[Magdalene]

Posted: 9/12/05 at 3:49pm

Duets being done when the artists never meet is evidently quite common in the music industry!

Posted: 9/12/05 at 3:57pm

The new Ray Charles album is an old album recorded for Quincy Jones' old record label Qwest, which had Ray dueting with other artists which have been deemed "not relevant" and so a bunch of other singers were enlisted to re-do those tracks.

No. He did not choose some of the new performers. This is mostly an attempt to cash in on the success of Genius Loves Company, his last album which garnered him a posthumous Grammy.
Updated On: 9/12/05 at 03:57 PM

[JerseyGirl2]

Posted: 9/12/05 at 4:12pm

Man, I hate that. I truly wish Idina had not done the duet if he didn't choose her. I never cared for Unforgettable with Natalie Cole or a country song that Hank Williams Jr. did with his father, and you know that they would have wanted those duets. Can you think of other duets done with a deceased performer?

[Marquise]

Posted: 9/12/05 at 4:20pm

Yes. The entire Frank Sinatra: Duets I and II cds.

[JerseyGirl2]

Posted: 9/12/05 at 4:25pm

Duets 2 came out in 1994, he died in 1998.

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 9/12/05 at 5:38pm

It reminds me of a sketch done on SNL many years ago about the same thing. One of the stars being satirized kept on saying, "I'm not dead yet..." (though I think she is now).

Posted: 9/12/05 at 6:39pm

Who cares if he chose them or not. He's dead. If the idea bothers you, don't buy the album.

[TennesseeTwang]

Posted: 9/12/05 at 7:31pm

"I think Tennessee was speaking about a specific group of I<3Idina fans."

Thanks. I was indeed. I also was speaking with tongue firmly planted in cheek.

But it's hardly news that there are members of each successive generation who tend to devalue the pop culture giants of previous generations.

[phantom_tenor]

Posted: 9/13/05 at 8:02am

"Duets 2 came out in 1994, he died in 1998."

Once upon a time i thought Frank would have been dead before he agreed record such a travesty.

[redhotinnyc2]

Posted: 9/13/05 at 8:11am

oops - yes - her performance was terrible, having nothing to do with her outfit. She sang through her nose (as usual) and contorted her face to a horrible grimace, and flatted out on several notes, coming under pitch repeatedly. Yes - her performance was terrible.

Posted: 9/22/05 at 11:02pm

from foxnews.com

Ray Charles Sequel a Flop

"If there's such a thing as karma, then the late, great Ray Charles is influencing it from above.

Charles' "new" album, "Genius & Friends," released on Tuesday, is a flop. Charles is no doubt cheering in heaven.

The album, as I told you a few weeks ago, is something of a fraud. It's a bunch of vocals that Charles recorded seven years ago with other artists.

Those artists' voices have been erased and replaced with new vocals.

Some of the new artists are people Charles may not even have heard of, and certainly did not know.

They include John Legend, "American Idol"'s Ruben Studdard, Idina Menzel (from "Wicked" on Broadway), R&B singer Leela James, the tonally deprived Mary J. Blige and a singer named Laura Pausini."