Pepper & Piano - 'You Took My Heart'
True fact: This song made Fearne Cotton cry. Out of her EYES, dammit!
It all happened on the Sky 1 sort-of-like-the-X-Factor-but-the-judges-are-all-off-Later-With-Jools musical talent show Must Be The Music. You all know the setup by now. Three judges, a big audition arena show, a presenter backstage talking to the acts before they go on. Two girls walk up to Fearne, who is basically the 'Dermot' in this situation. One is called Katie Pepper and the other is called Emma, she plays the piano, hence the name. They are from Manchester and they are excited and nervous.
Emma reveals she has had some troubles in her life, and that making music with Katie has helped her pull herself together. They then take to the stage. Then The Magic happens:
Instead of performing an off-key version of an Alicia Keys song, or even a bland re-write of an even blander recent pop ballad, Emma strikes up some dour chords, and then Katie opens her mouth and sings up a great big bruise. A massive black-eye of a song. An 'Everybody Hurts' where literally everybody hurts.
(Can't show you the video. Ad cooties.)
I don't mean it's painful to listen to, not in the sense that they're doing anything musically wrong, at any rate. It's just...blimey that's an unsettling noise to hear coming out of a televised human face, isn't it? Katie's voice is closer to that of Antony (of ...and the Johnsons fame) than, say, Leona Lewis, and although the song they're playing is a little clunky and unvarnished (by the standards of yer slick Top 40 acts), it's clearly a thing of substance, especially when sung like that.
Outside of the viciously-pigeonholed TV context, it would probably make less of an impact, a slightly wonky song, earnestly sung, by a lady with a boyishly deep, but operatically huge voice. But stick it in the middle of a silly old TV talent show and WHOAH!
The looks of shock and delight on everyone's faces are perhaps similar to those you would see if you organised an imaginary dinner party, where you and your friends have dressed up smart, and gathered around an immaculately-laid table, only to spend the entire evening pretending to enjoy a sumptuous feast (more ghost beef, vicar?), with all the not-really-there trimmings...and then a latecomer arrives with real home-made trifle.
It might not be the finest trifle money can buy: some of the jelly hasn't set properly and the custard is a little runny, and there are peanuts and raisins sprinkled all over the top, as a radical garnish. But you can't deny that it is actual food.
Download: Out now
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(Fraser McAlpine)
~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~14~RS~)
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I've just listened to this. Wow. Just. Wow.
Did they write this?! 5*
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Yes, they wrote it themselves Stocksy almost all the 'Must Be the Music' constants have written their own songs.
This is a gorgeous, wonderfully sung ballad. I remember watching their audition and actually being moved a little by it.
5 Stars
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*contestants
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It reduced Fearne Cotton to tears, but I'll admit I'm a bit of an emotional stone so it wasn't as effective on me, but even so, I can clearly see they've put plenty of time and devotion into this song.
Does anyone else think Pepper's vocal sound ever-so-slightly Florence-ish?
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