Have you all heard the story about Will not being able to perform on TOTP.
Well, if not...here goes!!

BMG requested that Will should sing both Evergreen and Anything is possible on the show.However, TOTP refused to let this happen cause they thought it would be unfair to let dedicate so much time to just one artist on their half hour show.
BMG refuse to give in so Will is not gonna play on TOTP and a video will be shown instead. It is the first time it has happened in 38 years!!

What do you all make of this?!
I think it is unfair on Will; he obviously wants to play and Im sure isnt bothered about not doing both of the songs!

[Kaz]

I heard about this earlier today, Wildchild.

What do I think? ..... I think Will's management need a good kick up the backside, and to be told to stop being so pigheaded and stupid.

If Nicki Chapman is involved at all in this decision, then I'm sorely disappointed in her.

They have no right to stop Will appearing on TOTP - it would be another amazing moment for him. For gods sake, he'll be able to sing the other song next week, won't he?

[LEE]

I think Will's management need a good kick up the backside, and to be told to stop being so pigheaded and stupid.

I agree 100% Kaz, it's patheic!

If Nicki Chapman is involved at all in this decision, then I'm sorely disappointed in her.

Sounds much more like Simon Cowell to me.

[Kaz]

Found this little snippet on the Sun Online 'Bizarre' section:

Fans get mad at Will ban

ANGRY fans of Pop Idol WILL YOUNG have bombarded his record company with protests after they stopped him going on Top Of The Pops.

BMG, which has show judge SIMON COWELL as a boss, ruled he could only appear if he sang both sides of his single Anything Is Possible/Evergreen. The BBC refused. Now BMG’s switchboard is red hot as furious fans demand they back down.

An insider said: “The phones haven’t stopped.” Top Of The Pops have also been swamped with calls urging a compromise.


Let's hope both BMG and TOTP can come to a compromise over this, and listen to what Will's fans want.

[Feefs]

I heard it was Simon Fuller who is responsible for this one. Either way it's really unfair for Will and me. I don't watch TOTP often, and I wouldn't care, except I'm away this weekend so will miss CUK.

The record company are argueing that TOTP has let other people do 2 songs, and that his massive sales justify it. Perhaps they do, and it was worth while asking. I'd probably rather watch him twice than some boring old act they want on too, but as they've refused they should accept it. Non PI fans would get annoyed with 2 songs, so it's perhaps better that he only does one of them anyway.

Double-A sides are something of a strange phenomenon, and they should know you can't expect to sing both of them during a show as short as TOTP. As it's almost guaranteed he'll be number one next week too, he'd have had a chance to sing both. Anyway, lately TOTP have shown performances by people that have gone down in the charts. Their record companies clearly struck a deal, so something like that would be more reasonable.

Oh, it makes me angry.

[LEE]

Now Pete Waterman has been commenting on this. The following is fron the People News site

---------------------------

Will's managers 'naive' in TOTP debate

Pete Waterman has joined the Top of the Pops/Will Young shenanigans by criticising fellow judge Simon Cowell for not letting the Pop Idol appear on Top of the Pops. Will, whose double A-side single is the fastest-selling in UK history, is the first number one star not to appear on the music show, despite being available.

Pistol Pete has called Will's management company 'naive' for not letting him perform just one song, instead of the two it is insisting on. ‘His management will find it great publicity,’ he says. 'It is naive to ask the BBC to change their rules of a lifetime to do two tracks.’

Top of the Pops is rumoured to be getting its own back by showing an edited version of Will's video, which may last as little as 60 seconds.

---------------------------

http://www.peoplenews.com/news/0,3430,8895,00.html

[Kaz]

I read somewhere that Will is to be performing both songs on CUK tomorrow morning, though!

Don't take it as gospel, but it could well be a distinct possibility.

Di you all see Will on TOTP the last night
I was gutted at first as I had read during the day that he was to appear so I got all ready to watch him but then the video came on and I was like'NOOOOOOOOO!!' and then it stopped and he came out!! OHH, he looked lovely!! His hair looked really good I cant believe I am gonna see him in concert!!! Sorry if I keep goin on but I am just so excited!!!

[Mairi]

I saw him Wildchild and he sang LIVE. I hope your tickets arrive soon and that you really enjoy seeing him perform. You'll have to let us know all about it!

[BigSister]

Im going too and im going to the Manchester one on March 25th

Ive got my tickets and i cant wait!!!!!!!!

Thanks miriam - Im sure I will have a fab time and dont worry, I will be on here and probably going on and on and on about it for days!!!
BigSister - have you heard what they are all singing I have heard quite a lot of reviews and it looks soooooooo good!

[BigSister]

Not all of them I think Darius is singing its not unusral and Will and gareth are singing light my fire and unchained melody and aaron is singing walking in memphis but thats all i think

I know that gareth and zoe r doing a duet but what song i dunno

Zoe is singing quite a lot which I am glad about cause she was my fave along with Will. Shes doing One Moment in time and Say a little prayer and Rosie is doing that Bryan Adams song, 'Every thing I do'.
CANT WAIT!!!!

[LEE]

Thanks to Wildchild I'm going now as well.

I hadn't realised there were some new dates on sale through ticketmaster until she told me about it yesterday and I've now managed to book myself some tickets for one of the last concerts at the London Arena in April.

http://www.ticketmaster.co.uk

Should be great.

Thanks Wildchild.

Wow, your going now LEE?!! I bet your really excited!! I cant wait to go!!
Really wanna see Will and Zoe!
Plus, you are going on the last night so the atmosphere is gonna be amazing! Pleased I could get the info fo ya!

Did anyone see Gareth on TOTP earlier

He was actually quite good and Im glad he sang live cause he sounded a lot better than miming! However, he cant beat Will cause he is just the best

[Kaz]

Yes, I saw him Wildchild. Not dressed in his white suit either - a black top and a rather natty pair of stripy trousers!

He did very well singing live but, to me, the arrangement of the song is just a little bit uninspiring and, dare I say it, <whispers> boring
I thought the audience reaction during the song was a little bit muted too.

Having said that, he did look extremely cute!

I do kinda agree with you, I think the song is getting boring! Its kind of a novelty at first but then wears off when you hear it a hundred times on the radio!!
I just cant wait to hear Light my fire from Will!!!

[Janette]

Now I'm not really the biggest fan of Gareth but I have to admit he sounded pretty good on TOTP tonight, but wouldn't it have been so much better if he'd have done "Mack The Knife"?

Unchained Melody is bland to say the least

[Mairi]

I love "Unchained Melody". It's one of my favourite songs and I could listen to it forever.
And I think Gareth is lovely too.
And I've bought his single.

[splodge0]

G'day folks!
Well Gareth done good, But much as I like "Unchained Melody", I persoally rarely like cover versions, full stop.
It simply strikes me as cheap
They will always be associated with 'stars in their eyes' if they don't use Original material. PI should have anticipated this and chumped up for some
The producers obviously hadn't got the courage of their convictions

:c olour::col our:

[splodge0]

Don't you just hate it when you posting goes over the page
: laugh::l augh::la ugh:

[Feefs]

I wished they'd gone for Mack the Knife too. However, I do think UM is a classic and one that I don't associate with a single artist and I've never been particularly attached to any version. (Except Rob and Ger - it was poor).

I thought the audience was surprisingly muted compared to what had been inferred by the papers, but they were perhaps captivated by the hint of naked chest! UM isn't really a good song to scream along to, and Gareth had his record breaking screams during Mack the Knife during the tour. More evidence they should have gone with that?

It was great to see him singing it live like a proper little singer, and even though I spotted the odd wobbly bit, I thought he did far better than Blue, who were still pretty good. I am obviously overanalysing these things, but I noticed the wobbles were on what should be the easy notes, whereas he completely nailed all the tricky bits and big notes. I suppose he was concentrating more on them.

To be honest splodge, I think the record company had anticipated the Stars in their Eyes analogies, but also anticipated we'd rush to the shops anyway. Will can get away with a cover for his next release, because most people haven't heard Westlife sing Evergreen, and Anything is Possible is original. I hope they come up with something original (and interesting) for Gareth's follow up. It probably wouldn't be Mack the Knife anyway, because that'll be on the Big Band album.

Obviously Mack the Knife would be a cover, but I know only associate it with Gareth, so he'd have made more of a mark with it. It's also his (and mine) favourite song from the finals, so hopefully he'll get to sing it (live) when they promote of the Big Band album.