Callea's Warning To Voice Final 4

Anthony Calleas warning to Voice finalists: the fall is hard and painful

Cameron Adams National music writer
News Limited
June 14, 2013 2:53PM


Former Australian Idol contestant Anthony Callea says the Voice is about TV ratings not generating hit musicians.


THIS time tomorrow Australia will have a second winner of The Voice. But for a program built on backstories, The Voices problematic backstory is that it has yet to spawn a major star despite being one of the worlds biggest TV brands.

Of the final four Harrison Craig, Luke Kennedy, Celia Pavey and Danny Ross Craig and Kennedy are the favourites, with their potential albums expected to follow the successful path standards crooner Michael Buble has followed in the last decade.

However Australian Idol already tried the crooner schtick remember jazz singer Carl Risely from 2007? He lost his major label record deal (with The Voices home Universal) after just two releases.

Anthony Callea, runner-up in Idol in 2004, says The Voice generates TV ratings rather than musical artists who can sell records once the show ends.

Everythings so fast now, Callea said. I saw one of the contestants from last year posting on social media and I just wanted to say `Youre not a star yet, youre on a hit TV show. They shouldnt believe the hype. Because the hypes not about you, the hypes about the show and the judges. And the sob story before people sing.

Its about the TV show, not about the actual singers on the show. And once that show has finished youre on your own. You have to work and prove yourself. Sometimes I worry for them because as quick as you can be put up there the fall is so much harder and painful.

Callea said record companies now relied on reality TV to find new talent.

Just because youre signed to a record label doesnt mean its going to work at all, Callea said. It doesnt matter who you are. You can have two successful albums and as soon as you have a dud album theyll drop you because theyve spent too much money. Everyones somewhat disposable. Thats the game we play in.

Callea said despite The Voices powerhouse ratings it has not generated the multi-platinum record sales early series of Australian Idol managed.

Back in the day it was about Guy (Sebastian) or Shannon (Noll) or Paulini or Jess (Mauboy) and people bought their records. Its bells and whistles now. We couldnt hide behind anything, there werent 20 dancers or pyro or lighting. When the TV show finishes, you dont have that. When you do your in-store performances its you and a microphone. If you dont know your craft it aint gonna translate. When you watch The Voice you get lost in the whole performance. Thats great for TV but if someone sees you in Westfield they might think Oh, I thought youd be better.


Tiffany Dunk, editor of Dolly whose audience are the demographic who vote for The Voice via downloads said the show is not a guaranteed star-maker.

Our readers really love coaches Joel Madden and Delta Goodrem, but their investment into the winner isnt as strong as singing-based competitions past, Dunk said. The final four havent managed to generate the same amount of fan followings as, for example, the last two seasons of The X Factor.

In the UK Leanne Mitchell, who won last years series of The Voice (with judges including Tom Jones and Will.i.am) saw her debut album sell just 895 copies in its first week, reaching No. 134 on the chart. In the US The Voices first winner Javier Colon also peaked at No. 134 on the chart with his winners album. The next two US Voice winners, from 2011 and 2012, are yet to release an album.

The Australian Voice has provided arguably the most successful winner per capita, with Karise Edens album My Journey hitting No.1. It has sold over 140,000 copies, however the singers personal issues derailed any major touring or promotion.

Last year the final four all scored record deals, with only Edens achieving major sales. This years contestants have only managed two Top 10 singles on the ARIA chart, despite being seen by over a million viewers a week.

The finalists will release a cover of John Farnhams Youre the Voice after the Grand Final, with the winners single and album to be rush-recorded and rush-released over the next week.


FUTURE SUCCESS?


HARRISON CRAIG
Music journalist Jeff Jenkins notes that its disconcerting seeing an 18 year old boy croon, but Craigs backstory his speech impediment caused an instant connection. Theres no doubt Harrison has a future. His story immediately won over the nation. But theres not a lot of room in the crooner market. Where is Carl Riseley today?, Jenkins said.

Iconic and influential DJ John Peters notes Everyone loves Harrison but I think the eskimoes have enough ice.

And Dolly editor Tiffany Dunk says Craig may struggle to sell crooner music to people his age. His story really resonates with teenagers and the fact that hes pretty easy on the eye doesnt hurt either, but Im not certain if his style of music will find a huge audience with teens post the show.

Prospects: Will sell albums to the set who buy albums for Mothers Day and Christmas but not the rest of the year.


DANNY ROSS
Ross wacky outfits have created a niche on the show, but his original song Windmill was the least popular on iTunes after last weeks The Voice. He follows a similar music vein to hirsute hippy Angus Stone.

Seal proclaimed him the future of Australian music but Im not so sure, Jeff Jenkins said, comparing him to Idol square peg Bobby Flynn, whose career trailed off after the show ended. Danny is this years wildcard, but if youre truly edgy and alternative, would you launch your career on a national TV talent quest?

Tiffany Dunk said Ross could be the surprise packet. He may not have the biggest or strongest voice but hes nailing the music that people are listening to and loving right now.

John Peters said Danny may sell a few capes and puffy shirts.

Prospects: Shaky. Will either fill the eccentric artiste niche, or disappear like X Factor oddball Altiyan Childs.


CELIA PAVEY
Pavey already gained attention on You Tube with her original folk tunes shes the Julia Stone to Danny Ross Angus Stone. Jeff Jenkins also compares her to Australian Idol graduate Lisa Mitchell, who like Matt Corby has managed a credible career by not winning a reality TV competition.

Her future will depend on the quality of her songwriting, Jenkins says. `Shes a talent, but not unique check out other female folk pop singers who have chosen not to go down the TV path, such as Melody Pool and Caitlin Harnett.

Peters said Paveys original song Candle in the Night was strong.

If she records an album of originals without too much interference she will do well and go on to greatness.

Dunk said while she was extremely talented Pavey hasnt resonated strongly with the teen readers yet.

Prospects: Australia isnt averse to unusual female vocalists, so if her original songwriting proves up to snuff, has a decent chance of a career.


LUKE KENNEDY
Kennedy was a member of opera act The Ten Tenors, and is the only second-chance contestant from this years Voice to make the final four.

Hes perhaps the most versatile member of the final four, which is a surprise, given his time with The Ten Tenors, Jenkins said. But what sort of album will Luke make? Does he go down the popera path, or make a pop album?

Peters also fears Kennedy may be stuck making Mothers or Fathers Day albums. Italian opera has a fairly limited audience.

However Dunk believed Kennedy will seize his second chance. With the exposure he and Celia have had on the show as well as the introduction to those working on it behind the scenes definitely helps with their future careers.

Prospects: Will be a difficult balancing act. If he stays with his opera roots hell narrow his market, but if he tries to turn himself into a pop star it might seem inauthentic.

Anthony Callea has past covered

Cameron Adams
April 24, 2013

TURNING 30 may mean earning a few wrinkles, but for Anthony Callea it also means an awareness that comes with age.
  
His new album, Thirty, not only celebrates his milestone birthday, but reaching a point where he can make a record on his terms.

It has covers he grew up singing - Oleta Adams' Get Here, Luther Vandross' Dance With My Father, Cheap Trick's The Flame, Backstreet Boys' The Perfect Fan, Will Young's Leave Right Now and Whitney & Mariah's When You Believe.

Throw in a Michael Bolton song and two Italian covers, and it's a major shift from Callea's last release, a dance pop EP.

"I threw the concept of being cool out of the window making this record," Callea says.

"With age, you know your strengths and weaknesses. I didn't set out to make a record that's commercially cool or worry about what people think I should do. I did what I wanted. Yes, there's some ballads on there, and some songs in Italian, but it's not just an album full of The Prayer again; I won't do that again, it's been done."

The album opts for vocal emotion over sonic perfection, as well as live strings.

"People have already said, 'Oh you've left commercial dance pop behind for this', but I don't regret anything," Callea says.

"I paid for that (dance) EP myself. I'm not going to throw thousands of dollars away on something I didn't feel was right. I had to get it out of my system.

"With this album, when you love a song and it means something to you, it's not difficult. There were no rules, no fighting. I wasn't worried about getting songs on radio or which demographic they were for."

Callea has included two originals, My All and I'll Be the One. Both were written four years ago near the start of his relationship with actor and singer Tim Campbell.

"The premise of My All is someone coming into your life and giving love a second chance. The first time I recorded I'll Be the One a few years ago, I played it to Tim and he started crying. When I played him the new version for this album, he bawled as well. I'm not good with emotion. I didn't know what to do. Do I hand him a tissue? I can communicate much better in song than in a conversation. But that's a beautiful sign when someone so close to you has that reaction to a song you wrote."

The video for My All also features a cameo from Campbell, now starring in House Husbands. "I said, 'It's written about you, why can't you be in the clip?'," Callea says. "It's a simple video, it's a really beautiful clip that captures what the song is about. And it's made a few people who've already seen it cry - for the right reasons - and that's the best compliment."

Thirty (ABC/Universal), out tomorrow.

ORIGINAL HERE

Anthony Goes It Alone

4 minutes with Anthony Callea

Four Minutes With... Anthony Callea

by: By Cameron Adams
From: National Features

October 06, 2011 12:00AM

CAMERON Adams interviews Anthony Callea about his new album release, Oh Oh Oh Oh.

1. OH BOY

For the first time, 28-year-old Anthony Callea sounds his age. New single Oh Oh Oh Oh is a party anthem written with DJ Poet (Black Eyed Peas). "I was writing R&B dance Euro stuff at 16," Callea says. "I still love ballads and pop, but this is what I'm enjoying now. If I don't do music I love, I can't expect anyone else to believe it."

2. AT THE END OF THE DAY

Callea is enjoying a musical challenge. "People say, 'It's so different to The Prayer, you've got such a big voice suited to the ballads'. This song is 10 times harder for me to sing than The Prayer. People underestimate well-produced, well-written pop/dance tracks. You have to think about your voice as an instrument."

3. DO IT YOURSELF

The former Idol is releasing his music independently. "The business model of the music industry has changed. There was no A&R guy ringing up producers saying, 'We need a track like this'. I had no restrictions. I swallowed my pride, I emailed producers myself to write with them when I went overseas. It's liberating."

4. CALLEA PTY LTD

Being his own boss is scary. "I'm my own travel agent, my own everything. You're calling the shots. It's like I'm running my own small business. You haven't got six-figure marketing budgets, but if you concentrate on the music, hopefully that speaks for itself."
Oh Oh Oh Oh is available October 7

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Picture: Manuela Cifra