Raf Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 ^^ Seriously, the S&S performance makes me tear up big time. It gets me EVERYTIME Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shine Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 I totally got me the first time I attended the show '-' and it was even worse, tears wise, the second time Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollhouse Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 I'm not going to get into an argument about what's on key or off, but this is a much better vocal performance of the song: Clearly its not. Its flatter. Not as much power. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raider of the lost Ark Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 What makes this performance so outstanding is that it was not just a simple rendition of the song that was nominated. The whole "You must love me" had a whole different meaning this evening. And you can clearly see that she is begging (for the lack of a better word) the Academy to (finally) show her some love. Not only was she snubbed big time for her performance in Evita. No, they snubbed her before for not nominating her songs. The whole double meaning makes it iconic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Apples388 Posted March 4, 2014 Author Share Posted March 4, 2014 She is not off key in that performance at the Oscars. Vocalism either has no idea about singing or clearly you have a hearing problem. I agree that she sounds a bit strained in parts but it's probably one of her best vocal performances ever. QUEEN ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Camacho Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 I love it. It's one of her better vocal performances. And she's so passionate, humble, and sweet here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HolidayGuy Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 It's not as memorable as the 1991 Oscars, but she did just fine. The camera pan to Babs (who did not perform her nominated tune) was priceless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
San Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 I'll agree with a few of the others that this isn't a very good vocal performance. She is too nervous and inevitably it comes through in her singing...there are definitely a few off whatever you want to call it! And I don't like the way she looks either. I don't like when she tries to fit in with convention...only on a few occasions has she done this in an attempt to be 'accepted' by some douchey clique. Like when she met the Queen. Similarly gross. So, yeah, I don't like this at all Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johndvd25 Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 Im just glad she attended and performed here. Good performance not great...her nervousness was so much evident than her '91 perf, you can hear it in her voice. I think she almost perfectly nailed the whole song. But there were cringe worthy moments, the "say" and "change" parts. I luv her gown that night! Fab and classy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lasky Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 Loved the music interlude n second part onwards... an excellent performance.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peter Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 I remember seeing this on television and I loved it then. I thought she looked beautiful, too. To answer someone's question fully: There was a lot of 'hype' that Madonna would be nominated for a Best Actress Oscar, especially after her Golden Globe win. Obviously, she was not nominated in that category. Barbra Streisand directed and starred in a film that year (I think it was The Mirror Has Two Faces ?), and there was also buzz that she might be nominated in the same category, or also as Best Director. I know she wasn't nominated for the former, and I'm fairly certain she wasn't nominated for the latter. So, both Madonna and Barbra were similarly snubbed that year. However, the songs in their films were nominated. "You Must Love Me" from Evita and "I Finally Found Someone" from The Mirror Has Two Faces (which was a duet with Bryan Adams). Customarily at that time, the nominated songs are performed during the ceremony, usually by the artist who recorded it. Madonna agreed to perform "You Must Love Me" during the ceremony (despite her lack of acting nomination, which was extremely classy); Barbra refused to perform "I Finally Found Someone," which came off as slightly childish or spoiled. That's why, when Billy Crystal lauded Madonna for performing, the cameras cut cattily to Barbra planted in her seat. Had "I Finally Found Someone" won, Barbra would have won an Oscar for it, too -- because she was a co-writer for the song. As we all know, Madonna did not win an Oscar when "You Must Love Me" won, because she was not a writer on that song. Now ... need to re-watch this clip -- thanks for resurrecting it, Suedehead! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shane Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 Flawless vocals, even better than 1991 SOL performance in my opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HolidayGuy Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 There was much more buzz about M being nominated, as The Mirror Has Two Faces wasn't really regarded as great (as M was in the Evita role). But, yeah, the pan to Babs was humorous. Surely she didn't "refuse" to perform? We know her live perforkances, for someone around as long as she has been, are few and far between. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollhouse Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 Madge should have been at least nominated. Those bastards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
promise to try Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 Her performance was great,I really liked it how she sang it,the arrangements...but yes,not iconic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jumpb4uthink Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 I remember I was so nervous before she sang and although she came across so nervous, note her hand shaking, she delivered and she moved me to tears and relief of the simple but at the same time powerful performance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryan Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 She sounds lovely. Truly one of her best live vocal performances. It should be iconic because she was pouring her heart and soul into the performance for the academy, she was singing to them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 Although I do agree that this is a somewhat painful performance to listen to, I don't agree that it's because she's off-key. She's, actually, very much ON-key throughout the whole performance. She also showcased a very good range, as well as good amount of power to her vocal performance. BUT, I remember seeing this live and still feeling very much pained. Why? Because the whole performance, although earnest, seems very forced. It sounds like she's REEEEEAAALLY trying VERY hard to sing - and she looks that way, too. She's very nervous here and it showed in her voice. Her voice was very shaky and her vibrato was very inconsistent. There were even a couple of subtle cracks in there, as well. All of that conspires to make the listener feel her nervousness and discomfort, too. And, of course, there's the whole, dreaded part: "You MAHST LAHVE Meeeeeeeeeeee." :-/ It just sounded like a very first recital for a newly-coached vocal student who never before knew how to sing. It wasn't good. The redeeming part came from the second verse and on, where she sounded better than the first half - especially the "scared to confess what I'm feeling," which was the best part of the whole performance. Thank God, however, for her Sticky n Sweet live rendition, which is a MILLION times better than this. Just my thoughts. I agree with everything here. She was on key but her voice wasn't open because she was nervous. That's why it sounds flat...her jaw is tight and so her vibrato was inconsistent and shaky. She wasn't brought up as a singer but she has great vocal talents that are highly underrated. She sings with such clarity and emotion which is why despite the obvious technical flaws in the performance I'm still extremely touched and intrigued by it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mooncrown11 Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 I remember liking this performance but haven't watched it in awhile . I just watched it again and I still think it's beautiful. I don't think it gets as much attention as the SOL performance because it is a lot more subtle and less flashy but I don't think that takes away from its power. She showed a lot of class that night by performing after being snubbed. I think she sounds very vulnerable and emotional which I appreciate even more than technically perfect singing that has no soul. I also remember one of my coworkers specifically calling me after she sang to say how fantastic she was and he wasn't even a big fan. I also think the S & S performance is stunning but I think she was more relaxed in front of all her fans than she was in front of a room full of actors and academy members. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mooncrown11 Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 I agree with everything here. She was on key but her voice wasn't open because she was nervous. That's why it sounds flat...her jaw is tight and so her vibrato was inconsistent and shaky. She wasn't brought up as a singer but she has great vocal talents that are highly underrated. She sings with such clarity and emotion which is why despite the obvious technical flaws in the performance I'm still extremely touched and intrigued by it. Amen! Totally agree with your comments on her under appreciated vocal talents. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vocalism Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 Yeah, she was obviously totally terrified. But she was also obviously nervous in 1991. She was even shaking a little bit. I do think the fact that YMLM is a slower song is why it's more difficult to sing, but then that assumes you all agree that's not as good of a performance, which doesn't seem to be the case. YMLM's also really out of her comfort zone, range-wise. But Sondheim isn't easy to sing either. SOL is not an easy song, especially for someone untrained like Madonna. And yet I find it infinitely better sung, both in form and pitch. I'm convinced vocal lessons ruined her singing instincts. She didn't really know what she was doing in the early years - she just sang the way it felt natural and good, and so it usually came out nicely. As soon as she got "lessons," I feel like she overthinks her singing so much. She tries so hard to sing "right" that she ends up sounding worse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
promise to try Posted March 6, 2014 Share Posted March 6, 2014 She 's always nervous in the award shows Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadCrazy Posted March 6, 2014 Share Posted March 6, 2014 I remember having tears in my eyes watching it live that day .. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Posted March 6, 2014 Share Posted March 6, 2014 I think the only thing that may have limited her vocal performance here was her nerves. It's funny how she was literally trembling at the '91 Oscars and still managed to give the performance of a lifetime, but here she struggled in parts yet she seemed less nervous. Those 2 songs are so different, though... Maybe that has something to do with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Posted March 6, 2014 Share Posted March 6, 2014 Sorry, Vocalism. Had I read all the posts, I'd have realized I was about to basically repeat what you already said Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
runa Posted March 6, 2014 Share Posted March 6, 2014 She's brilliant and flawless. I love how vulnerable she looks. So poignant! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johndvd25 Posted March 6, 2014 Share Posted March 6, 2014 Yeah, she was obviously totally terrified. But she was also obviously nervous in 1991. She was even shaking a little bit. I do think the fact that YMLM is a slower song is why it's more difficult to sing, but then that assumes you all agree that's not as good of a performance, which doesn't seem to be the case. YMLM's also really out of her comfort zone, range-wise. But Sondheim isn't easy to sing either. SOL is not an easy song, especially for someone untrained like Madonna. And yet I find it infinitely better sung, both in form and pitch. I'm convinced vocal lessons ruined her singing instincts. She didn't really know what she was doing in the early years - she just sang the way it felt natural and good, and so it usually came out nicely. As soon as she got "lessons," I feel like she overthinks her singing so much. She tries so hard to sing "right" that she ends up sounding worse. This! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peter Posted March 6, 2014 Share Posted March 6, 2014 There was much more buzz about M being nominated, as The Mirror Has Two Faces wasn't really regarded as great (as M was in the Evita role). But, yeah, the pan to Babs was humorous. Surely she didn't "refuse" to perform? We know her live perforkances, for someone around as long as she has been, are few and far between. You honestly think they would ask Celine to sing the song without approaching Barbra first? That was the standard protocol back then. (I think it has only recently changed -- they don't perform the nominated songs in the broadcast any longer, right?) It was Barbra's song -- had the song won, she would have won. I can't imagine they wouldn't have asked her. There was also buzz about Courtney Love in that Larry Flynt (sp?) movie, too. I remember EW having a cartoonish illustration of M and Courtney wrestling over a statuette. I remember liking this performance but haven't watched it in awhile . I just watched it again and I still think it's beautiful. I don't think it gets as much attention as the SOL performance because it is a lot more subtle and less flashy but I don't think that takes away from its power. She showed a lot of class that night by performing after being snubbed. I think she sounds very vulnerable and emotional which I appreciate even more than technically perfect singing that has no soul. I also remember one of my coworkers specifically calling me after she sang to say how fantastic she was and he wasn't even a big fan. I also think the S & S performance is stunning but I think she was more relaxed in front of all her fans than she was in front of a room full of actors and academy members. Well said, Mooncrown, and welcome! And to Vocalism and Bill ... she was nervous in both, but for SOL she had more props and choreography to 'distract' from any potential bum notes ("watch the hips, not the lips" sort of mentality) -- whereas with YMLM, she knew she was just standing and singing, without even moving from one spot on the stage to another once she'd begun singing. I think that maybe increased her nervousness. And you're right -- Sondheim is not any easier than Webber. But, she did take the tempo a little faster on SOL in spots than YMLM. When you sing something slow, you've got to sustain the notes longer... I still like both. I don't think either is inferior. And S&S YMLM is great, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SPARKLE Posted March 6, 2014 Share Posted March 6, 2014 Bad singing. She should've lip synched it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madonnasuperfan01 Posted March 6, 2014 Share Posted March 6, 2014 I agree, this performance is VERY overlooked and it's a shame. It's definitively one more proof that she can sing. I prefer the 1991 performance but this one is really amazing too. I would LOVE another awesome Oscar performance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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