Post by blkgapmodel on Jul 16, 2006 21:35:53 GMT -5
One of my favorite songs ever of all time. Best performances were the 2004 Grammys, Stripped in the UK, Ellen, and she did it a capella on SNL back in 2004. The latter the was best vocally done.
Here is how "Beautiful" came together from Linda Perry. And there's also a video footage from Linda performing the song in 2000.
antiMUSIC: Unquestionably your most impressive success with somebody else was with Christina Aguilera. What was running through your mind when you were on stage with her playing "Beautiful" at the Grammies? Was there a part of you that was going that should be me over there singing that? That's my song.
Linda: No. The hard part about "Beautiful" is that it's so deeply personal. That song, I didn't mean to give it to Christina at all. In fact, the way it actually happened was the first time Christina came to my house for the very first time, because at the time I had a studio in my house. And she was very nervous. She was aware of my band I was in and she happened to like my voice, so she was feeling a little insecure, and nervous and vulnerable, and she asked me: "Could you sing me a song to break the ice, to make me feel a little comfortable?" And I said, sure, okay. I had a couple months prior, written "Beautiful" and so I sat down at the piano. And of course that's the song that's closest to my heart, so that's the song I played for her. And she started from across the room and, as the song kept going, she got closer and closer and closer to me. And it was actually very sweet. So by the end of the song, she was standing right next to me at the piano. Can you write the words out and put it on demo…demo it down. And I'm all "Why?" Got all defensive (laughs). And I'm all WHY? And she says, because I want that song. And I was like, "No,no, no. this is MY song." And she's like, "It's perfect for me." And I was really taken aback by that. And I called up my manager the next day and said, Christina wants "Beautiful". And she's like, "Well, why don't you just hear her sing it. Just sit at the piano, and let her sing it, and you make your decision from there." And I said, "OK." So I demoed the piano down and Christina came down over the next day. I gave her the words. And again we're all in one room, because that's where my studio was, it was not separated. It was like when you sing, I was right there. And she had a friend with her. The music starts. She literally looks at her friend because she's nervous and says "Don't look at me." And she starts the song. Well when I heard that take go down, I got goose bumps all over me. And I knew that was my vocal. And for seven months I fought for that vocal. So that vocal that made it on the record is the scratch vocal, the very, very first time she sang that song. She was fighting me on that so hard because she's saying "It's not perfect, I didn't even know the song." And I said that's what's perfect about it. You were so vulnerable, and I believe you." I said "Christina, you've got trust me on this." This vocal is going to ing sell the song because everybody knows you can sing. But nobody knows you can FEEL what you're singing. And that's why this vocal is so perfect. Because this song isn't supposed to be perfect, Christina." And finally after seven months, she said, "Okay, you're right". And I'm like: "Thank you!" So that was a great example of getting into, finding somebody's…sometimes finding people's weaknesses can be such a strain. And I'm not trying to find people's weakness to use it against them. I'm trying to find their weakness FOR them, so they can grow stronger from it.
Here is how "Beautiful" came together from Linda Perry. And there's also a video footage from Linda performing the song in 2000.
antiMUSIC: Unquestionably your most impressive success with somebody else was with Christina Aguilera. What was running through your mind when you were on stage with her playing "Beautiful" at the Grammies? Was there a part of you that was going that should be me over there singing that? That's my song.
Linda: No. The hard part about "Beautiful" is that it's so deeply personal. That song, I didn't mean to give it to Christina at all. In fact, the way it actually happened was the first time Christina came to my house for the very first time, because at the time I had a studio in my house. And she was very nervous. She was aware of my band I was in and she happened to like my voice, so she was feeling a little insecure, and nervous and vulnerable, and she asked me: "Could you sing me a song to break the ice, to make me feel a little comfortable?" And I said, sure, okay. I had a couple months prior, written "Beautiful" and so I sat down at the piano. And of course that's the song that's closest to my heart, so that's the song I played for her. And she started from across the room and, as the song kept going, she got closer and closer and closer to me. And it was actually very sweet. So by the end of the song, she was standing right next to me at the piano. Can you write the words out and put it on demo…demo it down. And I'm all "Why?" Got all defensive (laughs). And I'm all WHY? And she says, because I want that song. And I was like, "No,no, no. this is MY song." And she's like, "It's perfect for me." And I was really taken aback by that. And I called up my manager the next day and said, Christina wants "Beautiful". And she's like, "Well, why don't you just hear her sing it. Just sit at the piano, and let her sing it, and you make your decision from there." And I said, "OK." So I demoed the piano down and Christina came down over the next day. I gave her the words. And again we're all in one room, because that's where my studio was, it was not separated. It was like when you sing, I was right there. And she had a friend with her. The music starts. She literally looks at her friend because she's nervous and says "Don't look at me." And she starts the song. Well when I heard that take go down, I got goose bumps all over me. And I knew that was my vocal. And for seven months I fought for that vocal. So that vocal that made it on the record is the scratch vocal, the very, very first time she sang that song. She was fighting me on that so hard because she's saying "It's not perfect, I didn't even know the song." And I said that's what's perfect about it. You were so vulnerable, and I believe you." I said "Christina, you've got trust me on this." This vocal is going to ing sell the song because everybody knows you can sing. But nobody knows you can FEEL what you're singing. And that's why this vocal is so perfect. Because this song isn't supposed to be perfect, Christina." And finally after seven months, she said, "Okay, you're right". And I'm like: "Thank you!" So that was a great example of getting into, finding somebody's…sometimes finding people's weaknesses can be such a strain. And I'm not trying to find people's weakness to use it against them. I'm trying to find their weakness FOR them, so they can grow stronger from it.
