origin of love Origin of Love - Song and Lyrics Discussion

[suzie]

I think it was just his mediocrity. His career was launched in the rest of the world because of Take That and Americans had no exposure to British boy bands because they had their own huge market of boy bands and didn't need to import any more.

 

I never liked TT and I thought his first solo singe (a cover of Freedom '90) was so bad it should have been banned () and I even saw him live that summer at some Radio 1 event in Clapham Common, I think, and I found him totally forgettable, except that he danced like a monkey -in those days he was best pals with Liam Gallagher:mf_rosetinted:.

 

However, he did have some great pop songs on his first solo album, like Angels and Let Me Entertain You that I thought should have been hits in anywhere in the world.

 

 

I know Robbie Williams has a huge X factor or he could have never been such a massive star anywhere, but it's not an easy thing to communicate to people who otherwise have no interest in him. I mean all they have to go on is his face (cute but not exceptional) and his songs (decent, but not exceptional).

 

It took me years to really understand the appeal of Robbie Williams and I was living in the UK in the late 90s. It wasn't until I saw videos of him playing to hundreds of thousands of people that I began to understand why he actually had an audience that huge.

 

It's not that you need exceptional talent to become successful in the US - or that's not what I can see.

 

At first I also thought it was only Guy Chambers and his history with Take That that helped Robbie have hits. However, I later realized that it is his presense in the songs and also his lyrics. ( I actually appreciate the same in Katy Perry. She may have totally mediocre songs but her lyrics and the way she articulates them makes them sound more 'original' than listening to exactly the same music from Kesha, for example).

 

The fact that Robbie is not American must have been a crucial part in his lack of success in the US though, so I hope next time Mika gets over there he remembers where his parents actually are from. I think it is those small things hinted in interviews and mentioned in press releases that can make a difference. e.g. tickets ti NYC show sold out in 1 minute => go use that in PR instead of the born in Beirut evaculated to Paris moved to London story

I even think it is more difficult to relate to someone in the US to this story.

 

He gets a lot of criticism for doing a Nina Simone cover on Jools Holland too.

I can understand the criticism on all the covers he has done with the exception of two or three and that is not a good ratio

Edited August 24, 2012 by suzie

[Kaito]

 

It's not that you need exceptional talent to become successful in the US - or that's not what I can see.

 

 

I really wish him a great career, as long as he doesn't lose himself to please the mainstream American market. That's what scares me the most, actually...

[suzie]

I really wish him a great career, as long as he doesn't lose himself to please the mainstream American market. That's what scares me the most, actually...

 

What scares me most is that he had to release a song with Pharrell Williams to ensure his first single gets played on the radio.

Once he achieves success in the US he won't need to make such compromises anymore, unless he wants to, of course.

[Kaito]

What scares me most is that he had to release a song with Pharrell Williams to ensure his first single gets played on the radio.

Once he achieves success in the US he won't need to make such compromises anymore, unless he wants to, of course.

 

Indeed... I'm not sure that he'll have more freedom once he has achieved success in the US... US's music tastes won't change just like that...

 

Actually, given US's mainstream tastes, I wouldn't even bother try to please people them... Like "it's your loss if you don't like"... But well, there comes the music business, of course... When it comes to markets & money... You can't really ignore the US...

[NowTheDreamsWontDo]

Whoa, one step at a time. I am still waiting for the Radio City Hall show he said he would do in 2010.

 

 

 

I think it was just his mediocrity. His career was launched in the rest of the world because of Take That and Americans had no exposure to British boy bands because they had their own huge market of boy bands and didn't need to import any more.

 

I know Robbie Williams has a huge X factor or he could have never been such a massive star anywhere, but it's not an easy thing to communicate to people who otherwise have no interest in him. I mean all they have to go on is his face (cute but not exceptional) and his songs (decent, but not exceptional).

 

It took me years to really understand the appeal of Robbie Williams and I was living in the UK in the late 90s. It wasn't until I saw videos of him playing to hundreds of thousands of people that I began to understand why he actually had an audience that huge.

 

 

 

Perhaps my English has gotten worse then?

 

 

 

"Gay" is very matter of fact. It's like saying he's a "Lebanese singer" or a "pop singer" or whatever. But flamboyant and camp implies that his music or his performances or his image are really stereotypically gay, gay, gay. Technically that's not what flamboyant means. It just means colourful, bold, etc. But it's a lot less likely that someone would describe Katy Perry as flamboyant than Mika, so you know what I mean?

 

In Canada people will say someone is "flaming" to describe gay men who are really obviously and stereotypically gay and I suppose it has the same basis as "flamboyant" since "flamboyant" comes from the French for "flame". And it's really not a polite thing to say or publish in an article.

 

 

 

Most of the negative comments I get on my YouTube videos are videos where people stumbled across it because they were looking for something else. Like there is one clip with Ricky Gervais so it's Ricky Gervais fans watching it and not just people looking for Mika videos.

 

He gets a lot of criticism for doing a Nina Simone cover on Jools Holland too.

 

They do here in the Netherlands as well, but honestly I believe it's not usually that hurtful to say so. A few weeks ago our Gay Parade was broadcast live on national television and afterwards the two presenters had a tiny scooter accident which was caught on tape as well. You could hear someone in the background shouting to keep away a cigarette, but for us viewers it was not clear why. The presenter of the show which broadcast the accident explained it was because of a bit of gas that had leaked from the scooter, and they were afraid for it catching fire, especially with all these homosexuals about to burst into flames as well

[Marilyn Mastin]

@dcdeb I think most people take Mika songs at face value only, that's why they think Lolllipop is a children's song and believe Billy Brown is Mika's most controversial song ever. So yes, I see no barrier in Mika 'exploding' the US provided he is given a chance and has the right image.

 

In terms of giving him a chance it probably partly depends on the record company backing him up with money to get him played but having an image that is consistent with his songs is most important.

 

It must have been analysed thousands of times why Robbie Williams never really became famous in the US. In my view, apart from not being American and having a different sense of humour, his 'camp' image may have played a part. At the same time though, if one is openly gay, people tend to accept it more, I guess, so Mika's coming out should be to to his advantage, in my personal opinion.

All in all, since Mika is actually American (no matter where he has lived so far or where his greatparents are from) and he now seems to have a real life image rather than a cartoon-like one, it should work to his advantage over there. I am keeping my fingers crossed for him for sure. Getting noted as a great pop artist in the US would bring him the ultimate freedom in his work.

To give Robbie Williams his due, he has a good voice. I'm a trained singer and I would struggle with Angels as it has a big range for a song, even though it doesn't seem like it when you hear it. At about the time of the millennium, Robbie was hugely popular in the UK. I do think a pop star's career goes in phases. One year Lady Gaga is big news, next year it's Jessie J. Some though, manage to cross the hurdle and become an icon, like Gary Barlow has.

But for America, I agree, he has to promote the fact that he's American. That would help a lot, and the new image, including the music is, I think, more acceptable to people who don't like anything too flamboyant.

So we'll have to see whathappens. *Crosses fingers, toes and eyes* that he'll be America's golden man, soon.

[krjsantos]

Origin Of Love Track by Track

http://www.universal-music.de/mika/videos/detail/video:281592/origin-of-love-track-by-track

 

no youtube yet?

[krjsantos]

Sorry I forgot the specific thread of the track by track

[Kaito]

VIDEO !!

 

http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1828040842001?bckey=AQ~~,AAAAAGw6_cw~,orja1xhYdu2gZCWzjCe4JDJmugq7YJ7U&bclid=1826999254001&bctid=1828063348001

[Milda]

VIDEO !!

 

http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1828040842001?bckey=AQ~~,AAAAAGw6_cw~,orja1xhYdu2gZCWzjCe4JDJmugq7YJ7U&bclid=1826999254001&bctid=1828063348001

 

I love you

[dcdeb]

I love you

 

It's on youtube now as well.

 

[YOUTUBE]vKBLLbwbqiY[/YOUTUBE]

[smokesignal]

Ok... I love the song when he performs it live, I still don't like the mixing, and I really don't like the video. It doesn't capture the feeling I have with this song at all. But more importantly: does it mean that it won't be a single?

[LaraMay]

You guys can tell that this short film version is an early version of the song, right? It's about the same as the premiere version of T.O.O.L. that he performed at Nibe (which I filmed) and it's different towards the end (mostly I think). I adore this version!

[YOUTUBE]3OGyB99VL-0[/YOUTUBE]

[John Alan]

absolutely brilliant !!! ... i can see why Mika calls it the ultimate love song bravo Mika it's brilliant !!! ... i knew they cut the song when they played it on the radio ... just had that gut feeling !!! lol

[Hippieibbie]

When i heard the origin Of love.

To me it Sound like such a happy song and yaaa everybody are happy. And dancing.

Then he Come up with this? He totally ruined my imagination about how this song should Sound/look like

[smokesignal]

When i heard the origin Of love.

To me it Sound like such a happy song and yaaa everybody are happy. And dancing.

Then he Come up with this? He totally ruined my imagination about how this song should Sound/look like

 

Don't watch it again. I know I won't.

He (as in Mika) did not come up with this, by the way. He specifically says that the director had complete freedom.

[Treasa]

I'm not so sure about this film either. I've only watched it once but didn't feel comfortable watching it... not sure why. Maybe I don't 'get it'

I might watch it again later.

[Hippieibbie]

Don't watch it again. I know I won't.

He (as in Mika) did not come up with this, by the way. He specifically says that the director had complete freedom.

 

Oh well... I dont like the person there did the video then

[cubitus]

I don't like it I didn't visualise the song like that in my imagination. I hope it isn't the official clip for the song

[tiibet]

Don't watch it again. I know I won't.

He (as in Mika) did not come up with this, by the way. He specifically says that the director had complete freedom.

 

This is the director's view of the song, not Mika's (at least that's how i understand it). But i'm very surprised if he is not impressed and pleased.

[LaraMay]

I don't like it I didn't visualise the song like that in my imagination. I hope it isn't the official clip for the song

 

It's not official, don't worry, but it is a short film like Make You Happy. I didn't like any of them. I'm just going to pretend that they don't exist.

[smokesignal]

This is the director's view of the song, not Mika's (at least that's how i understand it). But i'm very surprised if he is not impressed and pleased.

 

I find his choice of words interesting...

 

"This latest short film is a collaboration with the Chilean director Cristián Jiménez. After seeing his film Bonsai, this seemed like an exciting match. I wanted to take the kaleidoscopic dreaminess of the song and pair it up with Cristián's more realistic, surreal and moving imagery. When making these films, I give complete freedom to the director we are collaborating with, in a way that is never possible with a music video. This short film was made in Santiago with Cristián's close team and friends, and with a lot of love.

 

I hope that watching someone else's visual reaction to the song is as surprising and moving for you as it was for me."

 

But I think Mika is (necessarily) a lot better at letting go of the original context of the song and seeing it as a piece of art that can be interpreted in many different ways than we ever will be, so I guess you're right.

[Foxxy]

Ok... I love the song when he performs it live, I still don't like the mixing, and I really don't like the video. It doesn't capture the feeling I have with this song at all. But more importantly: does it mean that it won't be a single?

 

 

Same here... Not really feeling the video and the song itself is missing something, imo. I was hoping he will fix the song's mixing or something, for the studio version as it feels a little.. unfinished?

[smokesignal]

Same here... Not really feeling the video and the song itself is missing something, imo. I was hoping he will fix the song's mixing or something, for the studio version as it feels a little.. unfinished?

 

That too... but more than that I'm missing the passion and enthusiasm of the live version. I haven't listened to the acoustic version yet though (waiting for the album to arrive), so perhaps that will capture it a bit better.

[Foxxy]

That too... but more than that I'm missing the passion and enthusiasm of the live version. I haven't listened to the acoustic version yet though (waiting for the album to arrive), so perhaps that will capture it a bit better.

 

yeah yeah, for me it kinda lacks of that grip, that hook of some sort of. I dunno.. it might as well grow on me later. I'll wait for the album to arrive