Melinda Doolittle — As Long As He Needs Me

Abbala, Melinda said "as long as my guy needs me", IMHO.
Let's not assume things just because of her personal beliefs.

Melinda is a Star. I do like Jordin and Lakisha, too, but I think Melinda deserves to win.

Melinda is truly the best singer in this competition......Amazing talent that outshines most of the others except Jordin and Lakisha.

boring.

They should have put her in a simple but classic elegant gown. She's simply awesome! I could totally hear Barbara Streisand singing this! Can't wait to hear her next week!!!! Whooooot!

if you don't like it then don't read it , its called an opinon and every one is entitled to one. her being borring has nothing to do with the quality of her voice. she needs to sing somthing less diva like if she wants to win it. this week is proballly gonna be one of her biggest tests , i don't think she'll be able to sing gwen stefaini songs diva like.

im tired of the criticism of melinda,, she is quite extraordinary.. what a voice! everything she sings is great,, i guess some get bored with greatness.. she should be in the final 3 this year and perhaps win...

I love Melinda, she can sing anything but seriously she needs to do start picking better songs, like she did before she was in the top 12.
The songs she's singing now are so boring, if you can't keep my attention when you first start to sing, I am changing the channel.

reluctantidolfan01, nope, I've never performed the song before. In fact, I hadn't heard it in fifteen years until Melinda sang it last night! I had to sit there thinking to myself, "Where have I heard that before?" And then as I put the pieces together and remembered it came from OLIVER! and was Nancy's song, it all came back to me. I saw OLIVER! as a child, and now this is causing me to look back on it as an adult. That's why I am really getting the symbolism and depth within the song, and I guess that's what is making me interested in talking about it.

Will always love our Ms. Doolittle, but please LOSE THAT "whig," which easily added 15 years/pounds! But no matter. MD would have done a fantastic "Diamonds Are..." but I liked LaKeisha's version too -- and her comeback about her age!

Jordin will win this thing if America is smart. She's the only one with diversity.

Mrs, R...that's why I have a secret crush on you (I guess it's out in the open now) :oops:

I love the way you think...let's do the reverse psychology thing...and portray her as a "backstabbin' beyotch" to counterbalance all the humility & humbleness that (apparently) is counter to the prevailing culture...I guess they just don't "get" being nice. :|

Simon is such a dipshit sometimes. What's she going to say "naw, im really a super bitch!"?

I hear she's really a backstabbing beyotch. LOL.

If you wear a different whig every night on purpose..you should not be allowed on Idol. Melinda's time is nearly up. The "nice" thing is played out dawg.

she was good, but it was still borring and 2night was accually pretty not borring , she needs to be a lil worried about bein borring every week. i just wish she'd sing somthing less diva like. i think shes going to run into major problems on gwen stefani/ alternative week.

Ryan Seacreast: here is Melinda Doolittle with " Hollaback Girl".

P.S. I am DYING to hear her do a Stephanie Mills song!!! Anybody remeber "The Medicine Song" ? It's Melinda

As always, there will be one category that will stump even the best of contestants. She sang well, but was totally out of her genre. Wonder what she would have done w/ Diamonds are forever?

hahaha, laff, total amateur move! what, is this your first rickey's foray? posting in the wrong room, for shame! (insert winky icon that i can't be bothered to learn)

i'm sure they are praising her to the high heavens on technical vocal stylings that i cannot comprehend, but i thought it was a snoozefest. background, schmackground, it's american idol, the performances should stand alone.

i'm a melinda fan but that was really b o r i n g

zzzzzz

My previous comment was based on the MP3 only and I have to say that watching Melinda sing does change the experience. She is just such an awesome vocalist that I'm always enthralled.
Simonsays; It is clear that the song is meaningful to you. Have you performed it?
I just can't imagine thinking anyone was better than Melinda in any given week. I still didn't love the song choice but she is something special.

omg they show the little girl crying here too.. hahaha

boring ... same ole, same ole ....

IMO, She has a good voice, but she tends to get very boring. And its not the fact that is boring because she is always the best or anything, its just the way she sings really bores me. I guess its that she has the voice but not that all around performance. Just my opinion though!

sorry, I thought I was in the sanjaya thread. hahaha

omg I'm laughing like a complete moron over the "little Marla Hooch" comment. I can't stop...

I usually like her but this one didn't do much for me.

I'm saying that it changes the whole meaning of the song. If it's the voice of a pained "Nancy" singing about how her abusive boyfriend "needs" her, Melinda's dedication makes it lose that edge. Hence the lackluster performance.

Oh. I didn't see that part. Not sure how that applies, but okay.

As long as he needs me,
I know where I must be;
I'll cling on steadfastly
As long as he needs me.

As long as life is long,
I'll love him right or wrong,
And somehow, I'll be strong
As long as he needs me.

If you are lonely
Then you will know
When someone needs you,
You love them so.

I won't betray his trust
Though people say I must.
I've got to stay true just
As long as he needs me.

SIMONSAYS - she doesn't say it in the song, but in her video before the song.

abbala, are you kidding me? Listen again. Melinda does not reference God one time. I don't understand what you're trying to say.

RELUCTANTIDOLFAN01, I also wish she sang TSWL. Melinda has now performed two dull songs in a row. Although I love this song in the movie version of OLIVER!, her version just didn't do it for me. In addition Melinda said that "as long as GOD needs me, I'll be here", or something to that effect. Not exactly Bill Sykes, SIMONSAYS.

Melinda can sing the musical scales and make it an enthralling experience!

What makes this boring for me is that Simon keeps repeating himself every week. It seems like Simon's vocabulary magically shrank after Melinda's performances.

laff and reluctantidolfan01, you're welcome for the info! In fact, the more I listen to this, the sadder I become. You'll hear her say in the lyrics that she "won't betray his trust." There are people out to get the scoundrel she loves (Bill Sykes) for kidnapping Oliver and framing him for stealing (among a host of far worse crimes), but she "stands by her man" and won't give him up. She does, however, try to protect Oliver and send him back to the people who wanted to adopt him, which makes Bill so mad he beats her to death. It's horrid and yet, an essential part of an exceptional play. You can rent OLIVER! at any video/DVD online or in person.

Boring, but good vocals.

The only thing I didn't like was that she started the song sitting down...I hate that!

Other than that I think she's the best singer this show has ever produced. When they give her praise aaaaagain & aaaagain it's because she's already a pro and they really can't speak otherwise.

Laff: I think Melinda could do a straight and simpler version of TSWL. For me Jordin's affect is a little too contrived to take on a song like that. But I would demand that if Melinda sang it, she lose the vibrato. Which she can do. She's done it.
TSWL song is an all time favorite of mine too.
Thanks for the info on the song simonsays. I'll listen to it again tonight when I finally get to watch the show with your info in mind...

Okay, simonsays. A back story on the song does help. I guess I missed that. To Sir With Love is also great because of the story attached to it.

The judges way overpraised her, as usual. She's always good, always spot on, but tonight she was very bland in relation to many others. and yet simon raved ... aaaagain :roll:

Gah! reluctantidolfan, "To Sir With Love" (which is one of my all time favorite songs) needs to be sung by a more innocent voice, IMO. Melinda is too experienced to pull it off properly. I was actually hoping Jordin would have chosen it.

I voted for her again tonight!!! Go Melinda!!!

I don't know if they went into this in Melinda's intro, but this is a song from OLIVER! the musical, and it is anything but boring. Nancy sings this pathetic ode to loving a man who is all wrong for her and is, quite frankly, physically abusive toward her. In the end, he ends up killing her. Melinda's take on it was quite moving and emotional, once you know a bit of the back story. Out of context, I could listen to the somber and sobering lyrics about loneliness. I thought it was great.

She totally rules in dialidol. I guess miss DoLots + singing last are the magic combo.

Found it boring.

I'm a MD fan through and through. It was pitch perfect as usual, and her phrasing is, as always, not matched by any contestant on Idol, period.

On the other hand:
It was my least favorite Melinda vocal so far, going back to the audition. Too much vibrato, and frankly a bland uninspired song choice when everyone else was doing more interesting numbers. It was a harbor cruise for her. Simple lyrics, easy enough melody, no tempo changeups. I would have liked to see something less diva-ish from the British Invasion reportoire. (I was kind of hoping for "To Sir, with Love" from her which if she was going to do a diva ballad, would at least have been more fun.) I bet she doesn't come in first this week.

When this girl sings, it's no longer a competition. She's in a league of her own.

Melinda rocks as usual. Great job!