Oldies but Goodies

Oldies but goodies

This season of American Idol has featured more guest mentors than usual – everyone from Gwen Stefani to Jennifer Lopez to Jon Bon Jovi has coached this year’s 12 finalists, each with varying degrees of success.

Two of my favourite guests were two female singers who are significantly older than Stefani and Lopez, and who have not had a top ten hit in years: Diana Ross and Lulu.

Miss Ross proved herself to be a capable mentor as she coached the finalists through her extensive and impressive catalogue. It struck me while watching the show how unfortunate it is that Ross’ Motown crown has been chipped away at in the past few decades. Here is a woman who enjoyed 12 number-one hits with the Supremes, along with six number-one hits as a solo artist, in addition to numerous hits as a Supreme and as “Miss Ross”.

Many people forget Ross’ musical legacy – the hit records, her ability to sing everything from pop (“Where Did Our Love Go”), jazz (“Good Morning Heartache”), disco (“Love Hangover”) to rock (“Mirror, Mirror”). And who can forget her astonishing performance as Billie Holiday in Lady Sings the Blues, which won her an Oscar nomination in 1973?

Today many people remember Diana Ross as a washed-up diva who plays casinos, still wearing those outdated Bob Mackie dresses and big wigs as if it was 1970. Others see her as a has-been with a DUI on her record, who gets in fights with security personnel at airports when she’s subject to frisking.

Thankfully, Diana Ross week on American Idol reminded audiences Diana Ross is a professional singer, and not simply the ice-cold bitch some people would like to paint her as. Working with Sanjaya et al, Ross was down to earth, warm, and very knowledgeable about everything from voice projection to performance posture.

But what stood out were those songs. As much as they tried, none of the contestants could make us forget Ross’ originals. Ross may not have been blessed with the powerhouse vocals of singers like Aretha, Whitney, Mariah or Mary J., but in her prime, she sang with great tone and personality, backed up by solid production.

To check out Diana’s artistry, I recommend The Definitive Collection, a 2006 compilation which covers Diana’s solo period, and features many of her big hits from the ‘70s, plus a few hits from the ‘80s including “Swept Away” and her cover of “Why Do Fools Fall in Love”.

Lulu, on the other hand, was never as popular as Diana Ross in her prime, but she’s definitely one of the most underrated female vocalists in pop music. Lulu had hits with her cover of “Shout”, and her beloved theme song for the film To Sir, With Love, but she was never able to sustain a steady pop career, despite a few hits throughout the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s.

Lulu was one of the guest mentors for British week, and although none of the contestants sang any of her own hits, Lulu proved to be one of the best judges this year for her winning personality and thoughtful advice.

Lulu may be older now, but her voice is better than ever. It’s still rich with soul and vibrancy, unlike Ross, whose voice has diminished throughout the years. Perhaps it’s due to the fact that Lulu put out less material than her counterparts, so there's less wear and tear on her voice. But if Lulu herself had been dropped into the Idol competition, she certainly would have provided serious competition for the younger ones.

I’m sure a lot of people watching British Week didn’t have a clue who Lulu was. So, if you’re one of those people, I recommend you check out The Greatest Hits, a 2004 compilation of Lulu’s hits. It’s a fantastic collection which features her classic hits, in addition to her surprisingly good take on David Bowie’s “The Man Who Sold the World” and her latter-day hits such as “Independence” and “We’ve Got Tonight” (a duet with Ronan Keating). It’s one of my favourite compilations, although it’s difficult to find in North America since it's an import. But check out Amazon if you’re interested in purchasing it. It's a little pricey but worth every penny.

I hope the American Idol season will feature guest mentors whose work is ripe for rediscovery. How about Donna Summer? How about Aretha Franklin night? Roberta Flack? Joe Cocker? Who would you pick for a guest mentor for next year?