Nick Lachey: The show that started
a musical revolution...
( Heartbeat )
Is back!
( Cheers and applause ) ♪ pretty, pretty please ♪
♪ if you ever, ever feel ♪
♪ like you're nothing ♪
♪ you are perfect ♪
♪ to me ♪
Nick Lachey: This season the Sing-Off,
sixteen talented vocal groups e putting it all on the line
for a chance to win the ultimate prize:
$200,000 and a life-changing Sony music recording contract.
We want this so bad.
There really is no room for error.
In week one, eight incredible contenders
lit up the night with heart-stopping performances.
♪ ...catch a grenade ♪
♪ for you ♪
♪ catch a grenade for you ♪
Ladies! That was awesome!
( Cheers and applause )
But when the curtain fell,
two groups' dreams were crushed.
Tonight, get ready for round two.
This is what I'm talking about.
The pressure builds on our biggest season ever
as eight phenomenal new groups
give the most important performances of their lives.
This is absolutely make-or-break.
To survive the night, they'll have to win over
our award-winning judges: Ben Folds...
That last chord that you sang was just like...
♪ Aaaahhhh ♪
Even better than that, athat was good.
Shawn Stockman...
That didn't even sound like a cappella.
That sounded like track.
And our newest judge, chart-topping
singer/songwriter Sara Bareilles.
That was... ♪ sick! ♪
That was so good.
In the end, America will crown the winner.
I love this show!
Music like you've never heard...
A competition unlike any other.
The Sing-Off is on.
♪ One, two, three, four! ♪
( Cheers and applause )
( Singers vocalizing )
( Vocalizing )
♪ Sing it out ♪
♪ boy, you've got to see ♪
♪ what tomorrow brings ♪ see what tomorrow brings ♪
♪ sing it out ♪
♪ girl, you've got to be ♪
♪ what tomorrow needs ♪
♪ be what tomorrow... ♪
( Vocalizing )
♪ Every time ♪
♪ that they try to count you out ♪
( Vocalizing )
♪ Use your voice ♪
♪ every ♪
♪ single time you ♪
♪ open up your mouth ♪
( Vocalizing )
♪ Sing it for the boys ♪
♪ sing it for the girls ♪
♪ every time that you lose it ♪
♪ sing it for the world ♪
♪ sing it from the heart ♪
♪ sing it till you're nuts ♪
♪ sing it out ♪
♪ for the ones that'll hate your guts ♪
♪ sing it out ♪
♪ boy, they're gonna sell what tomorrow means ♪
♪ sell what tomorrow means ♪
♪ sing it out ♪
♪ girl, before they kill what tomorrow brings ♪
♪ kill what tomorrow brings ♪
( Beatboxing ) ♪ make a choice ♪
♪ if the music ♪
♪ drowns you out ♪
♪ ohh ♪
♪ raise your voice ♪ raise your voice ♪
♪ every single time ♪
♪ they try to shut your mouth ♪
♪ sing it for the boys ♪
♪ sing it for the girls ♪
♪ every time ♪
♪ that you lose it ♪
♪ sing it for the world ♪
♪ for the world ♪
♪ sing it for the world ♪
♪ sing it from the heart ♪
♪ sing it out ♪
♪ for the ones that will hate your guts ♪
♪ cleaned up corporation progress ♪
♪ dying in the process ♪
♪ children that can ♪
♪ talk about it ♪
♪ living on the ♪ railways ♪
♪ people living ♪ sideways ♪
♪ tell it till your ♪ last days ♪
♪ buy yourself the motivation ♪
♪ generation ♪
♪ nothing ♪
♪ nothing but a dead scene ♪
♪ product of a white dream ♪
♪ I am not the singer that you wanted ♪
♪ but a dancer ♪
♪ I refuse to ♪ answer ♪
♪ talk about the ♪ past, sir ♪
♪ wrote it for the ones that want to get away ♪
( Beatboxing ) Keep running!
♪ Sing it for the boys ♪
♪ sing it for the girls ♪
♪ every time that you lose it ♪
♪ sing it for the world ♪
♪ sing it from the heart ♪
♪ sing it till you're nuts ♪
♪ sing it out for the ones that'll hate your guts ♪
♪ sing it for the deaf ♪ sing it for the deaf ♪
♪ sing it for the blind ♪
♪ sing it out for the ones that you left behind ♪
♪ sing it for the world ♪
♪ you've got to be what tomorrow needs ♪
♪ sing it for the world ♪
( Song ends )
( Cheers and applause )
( Vocalizing )
( Imitates record skipping ) ♪ bring it back ♪
♪ oh oh oh ♪
yeah! ♪
♪ oh oh oh ♪
♪ bom-bom-bom bom-bom-bom ♪
♪ ba-bom-bom bom-bom ♪
♪ oh! ♪
( Cheers and applause )
Sync and corrected by dr.jackson for www.addic7ed.com
What's up, everyone? I'm Nick Lachey,
and welcome to the Sing-Off.
Eight of America's top vocal groups
just teamed up to deliver a stunning rendition
of "sing" by my chemical romance,
proving that reimagining an anthemic song
with only their voices can make it even more powerful,
and that's what this show is all about.
Sixteen of the most extraordinary vocal groups in the country
have come to chase their dream...
A $200,000 prize and a Sony music recording contract.
Only one of them will have what it takes
to come out on top.
Now, I'm already a fan of all these groups,
but tonight it's the judges they've got to win over.
Join me in welcoming the Sing-Off's
lovable musical mastermind, Ben Folds.
( Cheers and applause )
Thank you, Nick!
Our sultry, platinum-selling songstress,
Sara Bareilles.
( Cheers and applause )
Sara: Thank you.
Thank you. Thank you.
Nick: Yes, yes!
Shawn: She's Sara B., Sara B.!
Nick: Sara B.!
We should call you Sara B., for short.
You're part of the family now.
It's very hard to spell, you know?
I get it.
And member of the biggest R&B group in history,
Boyz II Men's Shawn Stockman!
( Cheers and applause )
Thank y'all, thank y'all. ( Laughing )
Now, judges, last week, our first bracket
of eight groups started off the competition.
It was a great show, and we saw a lot of talent,
but you still had to send two groups home.
Ben, how do you guys make these tough decisions?
Well, they're tough. We're trying to keep in mind
that they're taking a musical journey.
You know, some of them might be technically amazing, proficient,
but they've taken a journey that we think has ended.
They're not the kind of group that is gonna be making records.
Other times you've got some groups that are maybe shaky at times,
and they're not really quite on their game, but we see potential,
and we think that, if we're doing our job,
we might get a really nice surprise later on in the season
and see someone really come to life on the show.
Interesting.
And Sara, last week was your very first time in the judge's chair.
How was that experience?
Ohh! It was emotional.
It's been amazing and exciting,
but I've stood where all of you stand onstage,
and this is obviously my first time as a judge,
so I-I'm feeling really emotional about it all.
But I know that the caliber of talent is there,
and I'm... I'm really excited to see what's next for tonight.
( Dramatic voice ) I'm gonna get better at this, I promise!
( Laughter )
Nick: And, Shawn, what are you looking for
with these new groups tonight?
Um, just looking for that constant inspiration.
I mean, we sit here not only as judges
but fellow artists as well,
and fans of the music and fans of the art form,
so we're just looking to be inspired
by how well they do what they do.
That's why they're on the show.
So, that constant energy, that emotion,
and that passion.
Nick: All right.
Thank you, judges, for that valuable insight.
Now, tonight our second bracket takes the stage.
Eight more talented vocal groups
will perform signature songs,
but by the end of the night, two will be eliminated.
The slightest mistake could cost them a chance at the sing-otitle.
The battle kicks off and the music kicks in when we return.
The Sing-Off it's on.
( Cheers and applause )
(Applause) Welcome back.
For those of you checking out the Sing-Off
for the first time tonight, you're in for a brand-new musical experience.
Our groups are taking some of your favorite hit songs
and completely reinventing them without a single instrument.
And if you like what you hear tonight,
you can go to iTunes and download all the Sing-Off songs.
Now let's get it started with the first group of the night.
These Ivy league men might be serious about their studies,
but when they take the stage, they're anything but.
We headed to Dartmouth college in New Hampshire
to cut loose with the energetic boys
of the Dartmouth Aires.
( Cheers and applause )
♪ Who can forget ♪
♪ her soft September sunsets? ♪
♪ who can forget ♪
♪ those eyes that... ♪
While the Dartmouth Aires have a lot of traditions,
we are by no means "traditional."
( Sings shrieking note )
( Vocalizing and beatboxing ) ♪ we'll be fighting in the streets ♪
Dartmouth is a pretty old school,
and the aires are a pretty old group.
Dartmouth has a really strong tradition in a cappella.
It started with the aires in 1946.
( Vocalizing )
We wear a lot of silly and just a lot of different clothes.
We have a jacket from the founder of the group, ward Hicks,
and we pass it down to each other.
It's one way that we really feel very much
connected to the aires of the past.
♪ I like to dream ♪
( Vocalizing )
♪ Yes, yes ♪
♪ right between the sound machines ♪
We do everything together.
You know, not only singing but doing all kinds of crazy things,
like, you know, cliff-jumping and skydiving, even.
I haven't done those things, but other people have.
( Laughter )
♪ Ooohhh ♪
The aires are like a brotherhood.
When my mom recently had a stroke,
they were there for me.
I'm going on the Sing-Off not only for my mom,
but for the aires as well, so it means so much to win the competition
with the closest friends I've ever had.
Trying to honor their group's legacy,
performing "Higher ground" by Stevie Wonder,
here are the Dartmouth Aires.
( Cheers and applause )
( Vocalizing )
Here we go! One, two, three, four!
( Vocalizing )
Sing off!
( Vocalizing )
♪ People ♪
♪ you keep on learning ♪
( Vocalizing )
♪ Soldiers ♪
♪ you keep on warring ♪
♪ world ♪
♪ keep on turning ♪
♪ 'cause it won't be too long ♪
♪ no, it won't! ♪
( Vocalizing )
♪ Powers ♪
♪ you keep on lying ♪
♪ I said ♪ lying ♪
♪ while your people ♪
♪ they keep on dying... I said ♪
♪ dying ♪
♪ world ♪
♪ keep on turning ♪
♪ 'cause it won't be too long ♪
( Vocalizing )
Sing-Off!
( Vocalizing )
♪ I'm so darn glad ♪
♪ he let me try it again ♪
♪ 'cause my last time on Earth ♪
♪ I lived a whole world of sin ♪
♪ I'm so glad I know more than I knew then ♪
♪ gonna keep on trying ♪
♪ till I reach my higher ground ♪
( Vocalizing )
♪ Hey ♪
♪ till I reach my higher ground ♪
♪ ohh ♪
♪ no, no, no, no ♪
♪ higher ♪ till I reach my ♪
♪ till I reach my higher ground ♪
♪ till I reach my higher ♪
♪ ground ♪
♪ say yeah ♪
♪ yaaahhh! ♪
( Vocalizing ) ♪ till I reach my higher ground ♪
( Cheers and applause )
Nick: Yes, yes!
( Cheers and applause )
Great job, Aires.
Well, why don't we go straight to the judges.
Shawn, you want to start us off?
This is what I'm talking about.
( Cheers and applause )
This is what I'm talking about.
See, the art of a cappella
is not just performing with your voice;
it's just how you entertain people.
You've got a harder job because you don't have instruments behind you
and things of that nature.
You guys had me from the beginning to the end.
I couldn't stop moving my feet under this desk.
It kept moving. And "Higher ground," obviously,
is an energetic song, originally performed by Stevie.
And it was a great, great rendition, guys.
Michael, let me tell you, I love the fact
that you gradually went into the lead.
You're a really good front man, man.
I'll tell you, you... You did the thing.
I loved the performance. I loved the energy.
I love the clothes.
I even like the fluorescent-green socks that you have on.
Those are interesting. And, uh...
(Ha ha ha!) You guys did great.
Michael, your mom will be very proud.
( Cheers and applause )
Nick: All right.
Sara Bareilles, what'd you think?
I loved it. I just loved it.
I was gonna say the same thing...
Michael, I know your mom is just beaming right now.
And, um, I thought what was especially great about you guys
is that you really have a wonderful marriage
of your physicality and breath control.
I mean, you guys were spot-on.
It was... it was really, really wonderful.
You had me from "hello."
( Laughter )
( Cheers and applause )
Nick: And, Ben, your thoughts?
Nice work. You came out of the gate kicking ass,
which is great,
and you stayed that way the whole time,
which is actually pretty impressive,
because at any moment it could have blown up,
and it didn't.
You know, to be picky, I wouldn't have minded
to hear you guys give Michael a little bit of a hand
in the second verse and bring the background dynamic down
just a little bit, which would have allowed
him to come out front a little more without having to work so hard.
But the swells in the bridge, those were awesome.
I love the swells in the bridge.
Thanks, y'all.
( Cheers and applause )
All right, thank you, judges.
Thank you Dartmouth Aires. Way to get started.
Nice work.
( Cheers and applause )
When we return, we'll rock it to another planet
with a Katy Perry smash hit,
and later the judges will send the first group home.
This is the Sing-Off.
( Performers vocalizing )
( Cheers and applause )
It's the closest thing to a dream come true
that I could imagine. It's unbelievable.
It's awesome.
We connected with the audience in a really big way.
The judges said that, and I think Mike just killed it.
Absolutely.
( Performers vocalizing ) (Applause )
We're back on the Sing-Off.
Okay, here's the thing:
On this show, the singers have it so much tougher
than any other vocal competition.
They've got to nail the lead vocal,
the harmonies, the drums, the bass, the guitars,
all with their voices.
And then our next group takes it one step further
by putting an all-vocal spin on pop hits from the club.
We strutted down to Texas to take five
with Pentatonix.
We are... ♪ Pentatonix ♪
From Arlington, Texas.
( Vocalizing )
Mitch, Kirstin, and I are a trio.
We're best friends, and we sang together in high school.
We're just out of control.
Everywhere we go, we're always singing.
♪ Whoa ♪
♪ can I get a large caramel macchiato ♪
♪ that sounded so good ♪
Avi we met through a friend.
He had a great reputation of being this amazing bass.
( Singing bass ) ♪ tastes so good, and it's easy on our wallets, yeah ♪
( Beatboxing )
Scott found Kevin through You Tube.
( Beatboxing )
One of my videos had gotten 900,000 views,
and I was so surprised.
My friend had showed me Kevin's video,
and I knew he was the missing piece to our group.
♪ This place is about to blow ♪
♪ oh oh oh oh oh oh ♪
We listen to a lot of pop and R&B,
dubstep, electra.
We try to incorporate all that into our music.
We have this ability to take top 40 songs,
integrate it into our soulfulness,
make a remix that people will really enjoy.
♪ You're. So. Hypnotizing. ♪
Being on the Sing-Off is very serious to us.
We really want to win it so we can start careers in what we love to do.
That's the dream.
♪ ...whole 'nother world ♪
Scott brought Avi and I in to take Pentatonix to the next level.
There's a lot of pressure to live up to those expectations.
( Vocalizing )
We want to prove that we can win the show.
For Pentatonix, there really is no plan "B" at all.
We feel like this is our moment,
our ticket out of Arlington, to do something big.
( Vocalizing )
Will the new additions to the group
propel them into the spotlight?
Performing "E. T." by Katy Perry,
here's Pentatonix.
( Cheers and applause )
♪ Oh ♪
♪ you're an alien ♪
♪ your ♪
♪ touch so foreign ♪
♪ it's ♪
♪ supernatural ♪
♪ ex... ♪
♪ ...traterrestrial ♪
♪ you're so hypnotizing ♪
♪ could you be the devil ♪
♪ could you be an angel ♪
♪ your touch, magnetizing ♪
♪ feels like I'm imploding ♪
♪ you're from a ♪
♪ whole 'nother world ♪
♪ a different dimension ♪
♪ you open my eyes ♪
♪ and I'm ready to go ♪
♪ beaming into the light ♪
♪ kiss me ♪
♪ k-k-kiss me ♪
♪ infect me with your love ♪
♪ and fill me with your poison ♪
♪ and take me ♪
♪ t-t-take me ♪
♪ wanna be a victim ♪
♪ ready for abduction ♪
♪ you're ♪ oh ♪
♪ you're an alien ♪
♪ your ♪
♪ touch so foreign ♪
♪ it's ♪
♪ supernatural ♪
♪ extraterrestrial ♪
♪ this is transcendental ♪
♪ on another level ♪
♪ ohh ♪
♪ you're my lucky star ♪
( Vocalizing )
♪ Wanna walk on your wavelength ♪
♪ and be there when you vibrate ♪
♪ for you, I'd risk it all ♪
♪ ohh ♪
( Vocalizing and beatboxing )
♪ Kiss me, k-k-kiss me ♪
♪ infect me with your loving ♪
♪ fill me with your poison ♪
♪ take me, t-t-take me ♪
♪ wanna be a victim, ready for abduction ♪
♪ you're... ♪ you're an alien ♪
♪ your touch so foreign ♪
♪ it's supernatural ♪
♪ extraterrestrial ♪
♪ ...al ...Al ♪
( Vocalizing )
( Cheers and applause )
Nick: Wow!
Wow!
Pentatonix, channeling some Katy Perry.
That was some good stuff.
Man!
Sara, what do you think?
I feel like Katy's in the room with us,
don't you? Right?
Um, that was... ♪ sick! ♪
That was so good. That was so good.
First of all, I love that you guys are being
so ambitious with the songs you're choosing to arrange.
Top 40 and club songs, those are not easy to do
with, you know, 18 and 20 voices,
much less just... 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
( Laughter )
I love that each of you had a little moment
in that song where you got to just really shine
and just sparkle, and we got to see
all the dimensions of you,
and... I feel like an alien, now.
( Laughter and applause ) It was good.
( Applause and shouts of approval )
Ben, what'd you think?
I thought it was a really great ride,
and you were all dead-on with each other, with your plan.
It's all about the groove. The harmonies
that were complementing the melody
were what was moving it to the top,
and that was really, really cool.
The syncopations were awesome,
the arrangement was great.
Kevin's effects were wicked awesome.
Shawn: Sick.
( Cheers and applause )
Your low end is impressive.
I mean, in general, you've got the club low end
that you're looking for, and that's gonna be
a really hard thing to find in an a cappella group.
Only thing I'd say is I'd take that song slower.
You're dead-on with each other,
it's just you might have lost a little suspense
when you came out of the gate a couple of clicks fast.
But I thought it was really great,
- and it was a lot of fun. - Thanks.
( Cheers and applause )
Shawn?
Ohh, man.
Nick: When he starts stretching,
that's a good thing, by the way.
( Laughter )
Man, Scott!
You bad, boy!
( Cheers and applause )
Man!
I heard those riffs, son.
I heard those riffs, bruh-bruh,
and it was off the hook.
Yo, Kev, I-I swear y'all were cheating,
because the beat and the bass...
And it's so refreshing to hear, like, a real bass.
Like, we had a guy in our group... ( Wild cheers )
We had a guy in our group that was a real bass,
you know what I'm saying? And, Avi, let me tell you something, man:
Like, for you to, like, move like this,
you know how hard it is to actually be on key being a bass
and standing still...
( Laughter )
Let alone doing this?
( Laughter )
You know what I'm saying?
So crazy. I-I enjoyed the performance.
I loved it. And how you kept up with the riffs.
Scott, boy, you a beast!
I enjoyed it!
Loved it. Loved it.
( Cheers and applause )
Nick: All right. Good stuff.
We'll see if you guys move on
to the next round of the competition.
Thank you, Pentatonix.
( Cheers and applause )
When we come back, we'll meet a soulful group
of refugees from Africa who've found a way to survive
thanks to the power of song.
And, in just a few moments,
the first elimination of the night.
The Sing-Off... Keep it tuned.
( Cheers and applause )
To finally have the moment to show it to the judges,
show it to the audience,
show it, you know, to America, to the world,
to millions and millions of people.
- Surreal. - My man.
I just can't wait to show what I can do,
I can't wait to just, like, show what we can do.
And, oh, I...
This is the best time in my life I've ever had.
( Joyous sound )
Flippin' love y'all!
(Applause)
I'm Nick Lachey, and welcome back to the Sing-Off.
I am so impressed with these groups tonight.
They're not only talented singers,
but their stories are truly inspirational,
like our next group.
This band of brothers escaped danger
in their homeland of Liberia
and brought their spiritual style to our shores.
We took the high road to Minneapolis, Minnesota,
to meet up with Messiah's Men.
( Vocalizing )
We are Messiah's Men,
from Minneapolis, Minnesota.
♪ Wading in the water ♪
Our singing style is gospel,
afro-centric, and soul.
We're all from Liberia, West Africa.
There is a very large liberian population in Minneapolis...
Over 10,000-plus liberians reside here.
It is very important for us as a group
to have that connection to this body of liberians from back home.
♪ Hey ♪
♪ oh, cry more ♪
♪ gonna say ♪
A lot of folks are not aware
of the civil crisis in Liberia.
It started back in 1989.
Some of us lost our family members.
We were actually refugees,
and while we were there, we decided to sing together.
♪ Many miles ♪
To go through a war, there's so much that happens.
You feel hopeless. Your life is just in despair.
But one thing that kept our eyes on the prize
is singing.
Singing for me and the rest of the guys
is like setting a caged bird free.
♪ When this war is over ♪
When we were in refugee camps, we sang.
It was our salvation.
♪ That we went through ♪
I never would have imagined being on this stage,
being in the United States and performing for the world.
One moment, you're in a state of hopelessness and despair.
A couple of years later, you see your dreams come true.
♪ You can get it if you really want ♪
We feel privileged, we feel blessed,
and we think that this is a wonderful opportunity
to tell the world of our story.
♪ Try and try ♪
♪ you'll succeed at last ♪
( Cheers and applause )
Striving to bring the spirit of West Africa to life on our stage
with Curtis Mayfield's "People get ready,"
here is Messiah's Men.
( Cheers and applause )
♪ People, get ready ♪
♪ there's a train coming ♪
♪ don't need no baggage ♪
♪ you just get on board ♪
♪ all you need is just faith ♪
♪ to hear the diesels humming ♪
♪ don't need no baggage ♪
♪ you just thank the Lord ♪
♪ ooh ♪
♪ ooh ooh ooh ♪
♪ people, get ready ♪
♪ for the train to Jordan ♪
♪ picking up passengers ♪
♪ from coast to coast ♪
♪ now, faith is the key ♪
♪ open the doors and board 'em ♪
♪ love them the worst ♪
♪ that you love the most ♪
♪ ooh ♪
♪ ooh ooh ooh ♪
♪ there ain't no place ♪
♪ for the hopeless sinner ♪
♪ who would hurt all mankind ♪
♪ just to save his own ♪
♪ have pity on those ♪
♪ whose chances grow thinner ♪
♪ there ain't no hiding place ♪
♪ from the kingdom's throne ♪
( Singing in native language )
♪ People, get ready ♪
( Singing in native language )
♪ Oh, yeah ♪
( Singing in native language )
♪ People get ready ♪
( Singing in native language )
♪ You just get on board ♪
♪ you just get on board ♪
♪ oh, me, yeah ♪
♪ people, get ready. ♪
( Cheers and applause )
Very, very nice.
Some really big voices on this stage. Man!
Nice job, Messiah's Men.
Let's see what the judges thought.
Ben, why don't you start us off.
Yeah, you're right, Nick. Really big sound.
Really happy to have you guys here.
Thanks for coming. It's awesome.
( Cheers and applause )
Dehcontee, really interesting groove.
Really refreshing groove.
It wasn't your average beatbox groove,
and I thought that was really great.
Uh, the unisons were especially powerful,
and that was moving. That was really awesome.
( Applause ) You're all basically together,
but the key center's sometimes a bit of a moving target.
I'm not sure that really affects what we're feeling,
but since it's an a cappella competition,
I just thought I'd point out the one thing that I noticed
that would be something you might want to work on
is keeping the key center kind of in the same place most of the time,
you know, but we were still feeling it, and it was really moving.
Thank you. ( Applause )
Shawn?
Um, you guys describe your sound
or your inspiration of music as gospel, afro-centric, and soul,
and I honestly felt all three.
You guys come from Liberia,
and it's a very trying time in your country.
Isn't that amazing? Like, how in times of oppression
and in horrible circumstances,
like, music, a lot of times
can be kind of like that spiritual elixir.
No matter what the condition,
you can still see beautiful things
coming out of situations like that,
and I felt you.
Even though it might not have been technically perfect,
I could just sit and listen to you.
You guys have, like, storytelling-type voices,
where you just sit and you listen,
and it sounds pleasant, and it sounds good,
and it comes from your bowels.
It's... It's from a real place,
and that's what makes you guys special to me.
So, it was very enjoyable to listen to and to watch.
( Cheers and applause )
Sara.
Music is transcendent,
and music is spiritual
and triumphant, and it gives voice
to something that we sometimes don't know how
to articulate with words.
It was a real pleasure to see you guys
express tonight in front of us all here,
and, um, I think there were...
I agree with some of the things that you're saying
in terms of just tiny little technical things.
My favorite part was at the end, where you circled up.
You were all just there sort of as a family unit.
I think we all really feel that emotional connection,
and I kind of wanted you to just stop moving
and just plant your feet and sing
because it was just awesome when... when that happened.
Kudos to you. I'm so happy you're here.
( Applause )
We'll find out later if you all stay in the competition.
Thank you, Messiah's Men.
( Applause )
When we come back, you'll hear an indie rock quintet
who are creating a real buzz with their electronic arrangements,
and then it's time to decide which group makes the cut,
right here on the Sing-Off.
( Performers vocalizing )
( Cheers and applause )
This was something that we have dreamt for for our whole life.
And now we are on the Sing-Off,
and everybody is here, and listened to our story,
our music, and we are just happy to be here.
This is an incredible, incredible, incredible moment in our lives,
and, um, this is certainly more than a dream come true.
( Performers vocalizing ) (Applause )
Hey, everybody, welcome back to the purest singing competition in America,
the Sing-Off.
Okay, the final group of the first round
has been struggling to make a name for themselves
with their complex sound and intricate 5-part harmonies.
We dropped in on their home base in L.A.
So we could get to know Sonos.
( Cheers and applause )
We are Sonos, from Los Angeles.
( Beatboxing and vocalizing )
♪ All I ever wanted ♪
Sonos' musical style is to take a song that we like a lot
and turn it on its ear.
♪ ...in my arms ♪
Sonos has been together for three years.
We've been on the road a lot, touring a lot of places.
But it's so much more than that now.
We're trying to make a living doing this,
and it's become our livelihood.
Something that really sets us apart from other a cappella groups
is our use of effects pedals to augment our sound
and our arrangements and our performance.
We also use the pedal to explore a more electronic sound.
( Electronic voice modulation )
( Vocalizing and beatboxing )
For the show, we're not using any of our effects pedals.
We do have to reinvent our sound.
We, like, hide behind the pedals, kind of,
because it's a really cool costume.
♪ The taste of your lips ♪
♪ I'm on a ride ♪
Without the pedals, it's gonna be really hard.
It's gonna be really hard.
We're just gonna have to rely on our voices,
our arrangements, and each other.
( Vocalizing )
♪ Aaahhh ♪
Deejay: You'istening to 89.9 KCRW.
We have special guests in the studio,
here for a live performance. It is Sonos.
We've done an awful lot in the the three years that we've been a group.
We've put out a couple of records,
we've toured all over the country,
but we're still kind of holding out for the one big push.
This is a band that's been struggling for the past three years.
We love each other so fiercely
that we've been able to stay together this long,
but it's been incredibly hard.
And we're at a point right now
that we need to take off,
and if we're not gonna take off,
it's gonna devastate the future of this band. ( Cheers and applause )
Can these vocal alt-rockers
survive without their audio effects?
Performing "wicked game" by Chris Isaak,
here is Sonos.
( Cheers and applause )
♪ Aaahhh ♪
( Beatboxing ) ♪ aaaahhhh ♪
♪ the world was on fire ♪
♪ no one could save me but you ♪
( Vocalizing and beatboxing )
♪ It's strange what desire will make foolish people do ♪
♪ what a wicked thing to say ♪
♪ you never felt this way ♪
♪ what a wicked thing to do ♪
♪ to make me dream, and dream of you ♪
♪ I don't want to fall in love ♪
♪ no, no ♪
♪ no, I ♪
♪ don't want to fall in love ♪
♪ no, I ♪
♪ don't want to fall in love ♪
♪ this love is only gonna break your heart ♪
( Vocalizing )
♪ No ♪
♪ I ♪
♪ don't want to fall in love ♪
♪ no, I ♪
♪ don't want to fall in ♪
♪ love ♪
( Vocalizing and beatboxing ) ♪ no, I ♪
♪ don't want to fall in love ♪
♪ no ♪
( Vocalizing )
♪ I don't want to fall in love ♪
♪ with you ♪
( Vocalizing and beatboxing )
( Vocalizing )
( Vocalizing and beatboxing )
( Gentle end )
( Cheers and applause )
Nick: All right!
Very cool sound. Great song, Sonos.
Let's hear what the judges have to say.
Shawn, you want to start us off?
That arrangement was real ambitious.
I would have never thought I would hear
the Chris Isaak song that way.
Ben...!
( Cheers and applause )
You know, my goodness, man.
Like, that was... that was so sick and... and fast.
( Laughter )
That's amazing. "Wicked game" is such, like, a sexy record.
You guys have some beautiful ladies in the group.
Like, I would have really enjoyed a little bit more of that playfulness.
Didn't need to do that much movement.
Us guys would have just appreciated you swaying left and right.
( Laughter )
That'd been good enough. But, you know what I'm saying?
With that, in certain spots,
there was too much spacing
in between the harmonies.
It just sounded a little too thin to me.
You guys, I believe, have the potential
of doing great things.
I just didn't really feel it like I wanted to feel it.
But, overall, it was a pretty good performance.
( Polite applause ) Sara?
Your thoughts.
Sonos, it's so exciting to see you up on this stage.
For those of you who don't know,
Chris and I sang in an a cappella group together in college.
So, um, you've come a long way, baby.
Kudos to you for jumping in a van
and going criss-crossing the country
and being a touring a cappella band.
I know how hard that is.
I have done it myself,
with my keyboard wrapped in my bedspread,
and my band mates and no money,
and hotels where you're looking for
dead bodies in the closet, the whole nine yards.
( Laughter )
No, I really loved the arrangement,
and I thought it was really sexy
because I thought the sort of sparseness of the chords
and the fast, kick-ass beatboxing,
it was a really interesting way
to reinvent that song that's so classic
and so sensual.
I wanted to hear a tiny bit more dynamic range
from you guys, but, um, I also know
it's really hard to put down the pedals that you use
and that have become a part of your signature sound.
So, um, I think you guys did a really wonderful job.
Well done.
( Applause )
Ben?
They're dead on. I mean, Ben,
your beatboxing is...
( Staccato suspiration )... The future.
( Laughter )
No, no, it's really tasteful.
It's just got its own style.
The arrangement was really interesting. I thought it was really great.
I think what they're talking about with the sparseness,
whether you like it or not, is a choice,
and the choice is leaving your three female singers
a little bit naked.
Well, a little bit, like, exposed.
You're... you're vulnerable in everything then.
You're tuning in everything then,
because you've got your bass down below,
and then there's no real baritone range
to kind of fill that in, so then the girls are right there.
And when it's working, it's killing,
and then, sometimes, when it's not,
well, the other groups have all this stuff to cover that up,
and you're accustomed to using the pedals.
You're killing it without the pedals.
I think that's really great.
And I would just come out with a little more confidence
in all the girl vocals.
If you all sing, like, lead vocalist there,
I think that'll be cool.
I can understand why you wouldn't
because you're accustomed to having
a lot of kind of effects and noise.
As far as the, uh, the career goes,
you know, a music career is a series of
humiliating and depressing and desperate moments...
We all know!
That a music career,
and you should totally get used to it,
'cause even if you make it,
then, after that, then it gets humiliating and desperate again.
Ha ha ha! So, just do what you're doing...
And enjoy the music part of it,
and screw that other stuff. Sounds great.
Amen.
Nick: Great advice.
And later tonight, we'll see if Sonos will advance.
Thank you, guys.
Our first four groups have just shown us
their awe-inspiring talent.
During the break, the judges will choose three groups to save.
One group will sing their swan song.
The very first elimination of the night
is coming up on the Sing-Off.
( Cheers and applause )
It's just about leaving it on the floor.
You leave it all on the floor, you give it away,
and you, you know, try to just reach some people.
And I-I hope we did that.
I'm really proud of what we did.
( Performers vocalizing ) (Applause )
Welcome back to the Sing-Off.
We've got lots more all-vocal performances to come,
but right now it's time for the first cut of the night.
I'm standing here with the four contenders
who just broke out their signature songs...
The Dartmouth Aires...
( Cheers and applause )
Pentatonix...
( Cheers and applause )
Messiah's Men...
( Cheers and applause )
And Sonos.
( Cheers and applause )
They've created some unforgettable moments on our stage,
but unfortunately one group is about to say goodbye.
I have the judges' decision in my hand.
Three of these phenomenal groups
will continue on their quest for tSing-Off title;
the other will take the long road home.
The first two groups definitely advancing to the next round are...
( Performers vocalizing )
Dartmouth Aires!
( Cheers and applause )
And...
Pentatonix!
( Cheers and applause )
Congratulations to both of you.
You can head back to your boxes.
Congratulations.
( Applause )
It's down to Messiah's Men
and Sonos.
Messiah's Men,
the judges said your big sound and story
reminded them of music's transcendent power.
Both Ben and Shawn loved how you communicated your message.
Sara was taken by the sense of community
you brought to the stage, but the panel noted
you had trouble staying on key,
and your tone wavered throughout the song.
Sonos,
the judges commended you guys
for taking a chance with "wicked game,"
but were concerned the arrangement sounded incomplete.
Sara loved the sensual edge you brought to the song.
Ben applauded your fast, futuristic beatboxing,
but both he and Shawn
felt your harmonies sounded empty in the middle range.
One of these groups hit a high note with the judges;
the other has fallen flat.
The group that still has a shot
at becoming the Sing-Off champion is...
Sonos!
( Cheers and applause )
Congratulations. You're back for the next round.
( Cheers and applause )
Messiah's Men...
Your story moved us all,
and your sound was unlike anything we've ever heard.
I'm sorry to say, it's time to leave our stage.
We've asked each group to choose a song
for their final exit from our show.
And now, raising their Mikes
one last time for their swan song,
here's Messiah's Men.
( Cheers and applause )
♪ Swing low ♪
♪ sweet chariot ♪
♪ coming for to carry me home ♪
♪ swing low ♪
♪ sweet chariot ♪
♪ coming for to carry me ♪
♪ home ♪
( Vocalizing and beatboxing ) ♪ swing low ♪
♪ sweet chariot ♪
♪ coming for to carry me home ♪
♪ swing low ♪
♪ sweet chariot ♪
♪ coming for to carry me ♪
♪ home ♪
♪ home, sweet home ♪
( Reaching high note ) ♪ home ♪
( Cheers and applause )
( Applause continuing )
That was Messiah's Men, saying goodbye
with "Swing low, sweet chariot."
Well, we're halfway through the second bracket,
and the talent on this show is just unstoppable.
Coming up, we're gonna meet four more notable groups,
including a doo-wop dynasty,
a team of Nashville all-stars,
and a high school vocal band ready to make the grade.
Right now, I want to take a second
to welcome back some special friends.
They're last year's winners, and they just came out
with their self-titled debut album...
Reigning Sing-Off champions, Committed.
( Cheers and applause )
And, as we head to the break,
Committed is gonna give us a little taste
of the new record, and remind us
why they were last season's champs,
on the Sing-Off.
Take it away, fellas.
♪ I'll be loving you ♪
♪ always ♪
♪ until the rainbow ♪
♪ burns the stars out in the sky ♪
♪ always ♪
♪ until the ocean covers ♪
♪ every mountain ♪
♪ high ♪
♪ until the dolphin flies and parrots live at sea ♪
♪ ohh, I ♪
♪ until we dream of life ♪
♪ and life becomes a ♪
♪ dream ♪
( Cheers and applause )
( Performers vocalizing )
We are happy we had an opportunity
for millions and millions and millions of viewers
to see the Messiah's Men from West Africa, Liberia,
to see what we are about.
So, we are excited, we are super pumped,
and we are moving forward.
Nick: Coming up tonight, on the Sing-Off...
Two, three, four!
It's another amazing hour of vocal acrobatics
as our final four contenders take the stage.
♪ Could have had it all ♪
( Vocalizing )
♪ Keep away from that girl ♪
Come on!
♪ Let the sun shine ♪
♪ feels like home ♪
♪ to me ♪
Nick: And later, one more group
will leave our stage forever.
I have the results right here.
The Sing-Off continues in a moment.
♪ Shine ♪
(Applause)
We're back on season three of the Sing-Off,
The show that's riding the wave
of a whole new musical movement.
Now, we just saw the judges eliminate
the third group of the season.
The fire has been lit, and now tonight's
four remaining competitors have to summon
all their vocal might to survive.
Our next group is a mix of rising stars from Nashville
who put their solo careers on hold
to join together for a shot at the trophy.
We headed down to music city
to get to know The Collective.
( Cheers and applause )
( Vocalizing )
♪ I've been saved ♪
♪ saved ♪
♪ by a woman ♪
We are... ...The Collective.
From... ...Nashville, Tennessee.
♪ 'Cause I can't make you love me ♪
Jeremy lister, from season two,
put together some of his favorite artists from Nashville,
and this is what he got.
I had so much fun last year.
It was a great experience,
and I felt like there needed to be another Nashville group
to represent Southern a cappella music.
Jonathan, start it off?
One of the best things about this group
is having my older brother, Jonathan, being involved in it.
I grew up idolizing my brothers,
and watching them sing has really just pushed me
to do music.
( Joyous shouting )
We're different from any of the other groups.
We're all solo artists,
and a cappella is completely new to us.
♪ Aaahhh ♪
It'd be an inversion above that, so... ♪ aaahhh ♪
No one of us is the same... Not the same voice,
and we don't want to have the same voice.
I think something special we're gonna bring to the show
is that different is good.
We're used to being the only one
taking the stage and singing,
so it's gonna be hard for us to figure out
our sound together.
♪ Could have had it all ♪
In the end, I think our lack of a cappella experience will help us.
We're not gonna sound like anybody else.
♪ My heart and soul ♪
Nashville's a tough town for musicians.
We all have had our struggles.
I feel like now that we're able to collect our efforts,
this is our time.
♪ ...to the beat ♪
Can they find the success as a group
they were searching for as soloists?
Performing "Rolling in the deep" by Adele,
here's The Collective.
( Cheers and applause )
One, two, three.
♪ There's a fire ♪
♪ starting in my heart ♪
♪ reaching a fever pitch ♪
♪ it's bringing me out the dark ♪
Woman in audience: All right, girl!
♪ Finally I ♪
♪ can see you crystal clear ♪
♪ go ahead and sell me out ♪
♪ and I'll lay your... Bare ♪
♪ see how I'll leave ♪
♪ with every piece of you ♪
♪ don't underestimate ♪
♪ the things that I will do ♪ ohh ohh ♪
♪ there's a fire ♪
♪ starting in my heart ♪
♪ reaching a fever pitch ♪
♪ that's bringing me out the dark ♪ ohh ohh ♪
( Vocalizing and beatboxing )
♪ The scars of your love remind me ♪
♪ of us ♪
♪ they keepe ♪
♪ thinking that we almost had it all ♪
♪ the scars of your love ♪
♪ they leave me breathless ♪
♪ I can't help feeling ♪
♪ we could have it all ♪
( Vocalizing and beatboxing ) ♪ you're gonna wish you ♪
♪ never had met me ♪
♪ rolling in the deep ♪ tears are gonna roll ♪
♪ rolling in the deep ♪ you had my heart ♪
♪ inside ♪ you're gonna wish you ♪
♪ of your hand ♪ never had met me ♪
♪ but you played it ♪ tears are gonna fall ♪
♪ to the beat ♪ rolling in the deep ♪
♪ throw your soul through ♪ ( Vocalizing and beatboxing )
♪ Every open door ♪ ( Vocalizing and beatboxing )
♪ Count your blessings ♪
♪ to find what you were looking for ♪
♪ turn my sorrows ♪
♪ into treasured ♪ gold ♪
♪ you'll pay me back in time ♪
♪ and reap ♪ just what you sow ♪
♪ ohh ♪
♪ you're gonna wish you ♪
♪ oh, no ♪ never had met me ♪
♪ but now the ♪
♪ tears are gonna fall ♪
♪ we could have had it all ♪
♪ rolling in the deep ♪
♪ you had my heart inside ♪
♪ of your hands ♪
♪ but you played it ♪
♪ oh, you played it ♪
♪ played it to the beat ♪
( Song ends )
( Cheers and applause )
Nick: Yeah!
Collectively getting it done onstage.
Let's go ahead and go to our collective of judges.
Ben, what'd you think?
Very solid.
There's a real solid sound to the musicians in Nashville,
and you guys are all clearly really good singers.
Ruby, you owned the lead.
That was... that's what kept our ear.
( Cheers and applause )
It's a mistake to underestimate this genre of a cappella,
as you're seeing 'cause you're all musicians in your own right
that are doing your own thing.
I think you've got a little bit more of the code to crack
before it gels.
When the chorus got there, I didn't...
Feel lifted, as the vocal, the lead vocal,
was implying that it should be,
'cause there was all the heart there,
and everyone was singing with heart. But it was so solid.
You guys are such great singers,
and it'll be interesting to see how you start
thinking outside your box, 'cause you're...
Well, there's no box. Forget the box.
Think outside whatever.
Sounds great.
( Cheers and applause )
Shawn, what do you think?
The possible concern of you guys
starting off as being soloists
and deciding to form a group,
that was in the forefront of my mind:
"Because they're all soloists, let's see how well they blend."
And, in the midst of doing more and more songs,
I think that you guys will find a more definite sound.
I enjoyed the performance. And, Ruby,
your quivering alto, I-I... I'm a sucker for altos.
Your voice is so rich and thick,
and it just has so much depth in it,
like, you had us soon as you started singing that song.
So, I mean, the lead was off the hook.
As far as the actual performance from the group itself,
I didn't get blown completely back,
but it was still a solid enough performance.
( Subdued applause )
Nick: Okay. Sara?
It must be challenging
to each be such strong vocalists in and of your own right.
Even in watching a little bit of your background,
I can tell each one of you must be a powerhouse.
But I thought that your blend for being such a new group
was really, as they keep saying, solid.
Solid gold, man.
And, uh, and, Ruby, you are mesmerizing
as a front woman. You are just awesome.
Felt very theatrical,
in a really wonderful way.
And also, Rachael, I heard you sing in the song as well, and...
( Comical delivery ) ... I heard you, girl. I loved it.
Um, but overall, I have to agree with the guys
that it was missing something for me,
and I think it might be just in the arrangement a little bit,
but, um, you're powerhouses, and... and I would love to see
where you guys go if you spend some more time together.
( Subdued applause )
Well, we'll see if you move on in just a few minutes.
Thank you, Collective.
Now, remember,
you guys at home can keep up with
all the tweets from our singing groups,
follow the backstage excitement,
and catch exclusive behind-the-scenes clips
by logging on to nbc.Com.
And when we come back,
a group of bright-eyed teenagers
let their hair down.
And later, one more group is gonna be homeward bound.
This is the Sing-Off.
( Cheers and applause )
I think we made Jeremy very proud tonight.
We saw him smiling out there.
Definitely did, definitely did.
We're so new to this, but there's such a love
and such a passion for singing a cappella
and for doing this show that I know we're just gonna
work really hard.
Nick: Wanna go behind the scenesat the Sing-Off?
Check out nbc.Com
and follow Internet sensation Sam tsui
as he takes you up close and personal
with all our groups.
Thank you, guys!
( Performers vocalizing ) Yeah.
( Performers vocalizing )
(Applause )
Welcome back to the Sing-Off.
You know, one of the things I enjoy about these groups
is how much passion and hard work they bring to our stage.
They're all die-hard music fans,
but just as important to their love of singing
is their desire to win,
and this next group is no exception.
They may be the youngest singers on our show,
but the support of their hometown
gives them the confidence of champions.
We went back to school in Wilsonville, Oregon,
to catch the big dreams of Soul'd Out.
( Cheers and applause )
♪ Doo-Dee doo ♪
♪ doo-doo doo-doo ♪
♪ I hopped off the plane at lax ♪
♪ with a dream and my cardigan ♪
We are Soul'd Out, an a cappella singing group from Wilsonville high school.
We are basically a real- life version of glee.
♪ ...hands up ♪
♪ they're playing my song, and I'm gonna be okay ♪
♪ noddin' my head like "yeah" ♪
♪ movin' my hips like "yeah" ♪
I think we've really got a lot to prove,
being the biggest group
and the only high school group on this season.
You really need to show everyone that we can compete.
What really drives us, I think, to succeed on the show
is the support that the community has given us.
We'd like to give our own high school choir,
Soul'd Out,
a check for a thousand dollars,
and wish them good luck on their journey.
( Cheers and applause )
Because ten of us are graduating,
it's really important to us that we do well
because this will be the last time
our group sings together.
( Cheers and applause )
By leaving our friends and family,
we're all going to be a little bit heartbroken and homesick.
'Cause Wilsonville has really put in so much effort
into getting us here,
and we really just want to get back to Wilsonville
as much as we can.
( Cheers and applause )
Can the youngest group on our show
prove they have what it takes?
With "Aquarius, Let the sunshine in"
From the Broadway classic hair,
here is Soul'd Out.
( Cheers and applause )
( Beatboxing and vocalizing )
♪ When the moon ♪
♪ is in the seventh house ♪
♪ and Jupiter ♪
♪ aligns with Mars ♪
♪ then peace ♪
♪ will guide the planets ♪ peace ♪
♪ and love ♪
♪ will steer the stars ♪
♪ this is the dawning of the age of aquarius ♪
♪ the age of aquarius ♪
( Beatboxing and vocalizing )
♪ Aquarius ♪
♪ aquarius ♪ aquarius ♪ aquarius ♪
♪ harmony and understanding ♪
♪ sympathy and trust abounding ♪
♪ no more falsehoods or derisions ♪
♪ golden living dreams and visions ♪
♪ mystic crystal revelation ♪
♪ and the mind's true liberation ♪
♪ aquarius ♪
( Beatboxing ) Two, three, four!
♪ Let the sun shine ♪
♪ let the sunshine in ♪
♪ the sun ♪
♪ shine in ♪
♪ ...just sing along ♪
♪ oh, sing along with soul'd out ♪ let the sunshine in ♪
♪ let the sunshine in ♪ you know you've go to let the sunshine in, baby ♪
♪ sunshine in ♪ this little light of mine ♪
( Beatboxing ) ♪ this little light of mine ♪
♪ I'm gonna let it shine ♪
♪ let it shine ♪
♪ whoa ♪
♪ you've got to let the shine in ♪
♪ the sun ♪ let it shine on you ♪
♪ shine ♪ when your soul needs redemption ♪
♪ in ♪ shine ♪
( Wild cheers and applause )
All right!
Great job, Soul'd Out. The age of aquarius.
Heck, I'm a scorpio, and I still dug it.
Thought it was great. Shawn, what did you think?
I-I get concerned about high school groups,
but you guys really, uh, you really held your own on those songs,
considering that they're very intricate songs to do a cappella,
because there's so much music.
Back in that time, there was a lot of
strings and horns and all kinds of things.
And you did it pretty well.
And considering the fact that these songs are older than all of you...
( Laughter )
You captured the essence and the feel of it,
and I enjoyed it. You guys did well.
( Cheers and applause ) Nick: Good job.
Sara, your thoughts?
Yay, small towns!
( Laughter and scattered applause )
I'm from a small town myself.
Hi, Eureka!
And, um, I just really love seeing big dreams from small towns.
It really... It speaks to my heart,
and I was beaming watching you guys.
So much energy, it was really infectious.
I think there were certain times
where the chord structures were getting a little bit muddled to me.
But I thought that, Ethan, you're adorable.
And you're... ( Laughter )
And, um, there was so much emotion,
and I know how young you guys are,
and I thought you showed a lot of maturity.
Good for you for being so disciplined
and dedicated to something like this.
You're well on your way.
( Cheers and applause )
Ben?
Well, I'm sitting here doing math,
'cause there's 16 of you,
and if you were given a thousand dollars,
you've each got 63 bucks from that?
Is that about right?
( Laughter )
And also it was occurring to me that your parents
weren't even born when this song was out,
or they were as old as five, at the most,
is what I'm guessing.
I think that's pretty amazing.
The first half was hanging in there pretty well.
Shawn: Right.
The first half was holding its own.
Some of the unisons especially, the held notes at the top,
sopranos and tenors as everyone came along underneath it,
was really impressive, and it was a good start.
The second half was tough. That was a rough one.
It's just hard to pull off.
It's a repetitive melody there at the end.
You've got to drive it home and you've got to try really, really hard.
And sometimes it's... it's hard not to show the effort.
It tore apart at the end, and that's an unfortunate
place to blow up. But for high school?
I was an idiot when I was in high school.
( Laughter ) You guys are awesome, so...
Thanks very much. That was an impressive showing.
( Cheers and applause )
We'll see if your sign is on the rise
in just a moment.
Thanks again, sold out. Great work.
When we return, a seasoned group from the neighborhood,
who could be the Tony sopranos of doo-wop.
And later, our judges decide who's getting a call-back
and who's getting the curtain.
It's all happening on the Sing-Off.
( Cheers and applause ) ( Performers vocalizing )
Oh! Sara Bareilles said I was adorable,
which, um, was a huge compliment.
( Laughter )
There is no way to express how thankful we are
for all of our community support.
I mean, we... we really couldn't do any of it without them,
and we wouldn't be here today.
All: We love you, Wilsonville!
You know, one of the things I love most about the Sing-Off)
Is the incredible mix of groups...
We've got Southern rockers, ambitious college kids,
and seasoned a cappella pros.
And now, adding to that mix, are our next contenders,
an old-school crew that comes from
the street corner doo-wop tradition.
They've opened for legends like The Temptations,
Ben E. King, and Frankie Valli,
but now they're hoping to get top billing.
We docked in Boston to meet the fellas of North Shore.
( Cheers and applause )
( Vocalizing )
♪ So if you don't want to cry like I do ♪
♪ keep away from Runaround Sue ♪
( Vocalizing )
We are...
All: North Shore, from Boston, Massachusetts.
♪ Come on here on the floor ♪
( Vocalizing )
Our style of music is street-corner doo-wop.
( Vocalizing ) ♪ come on here on the floor ♪
Street-corner doo-wop
really stems from starting in the streets,
learning how to sing harmony
with a gallon of zinfandel wine.
( Vocalizing )
Our mission is to prove that doo-wop is not dead.
( Performers vocalizing )
Vinnie and I were in a disco band in the '70s,
and around '79, we made the band smaller.
We were just five singers, no music.
We walked into clubs, auditioned...
We had jobs just like that.
And we've been singing professionally ever since.
( Applause )
Funny thing is, if I wasn't singing for a living,
I'd probably be homeless!
Well, you know what Tommy could do for a living?
He could smoke a cigar and talk to his wife on the phone.
( Raucous laughter )
I love these guys. They're good people.
And I mean that from the heart.
Bad! You're bad!
We're just regular guys. We love our families.
My future a cappella singers.
And we're just blessed to be able to sing
and make a living at it.
♪ Somewhere ♪
♪ over ♪
♪ the rainbow ♪
♪ bom bom bom bom ♪
We love to sing, but it's not like it was
back in the '70s and '80s.
The economy's been awful, and it's affected all of us.
♪ Beyond the rainbow ♪
♪ why ♪
I've been singing since 1965,
but this is our worst year yet.
I've even been thinking about getting a regular job and quitting.
♪ Ohhh ♪
If the Sing-Off doesn't work,
it could very well be the end of North Shore.
( Song ends )
Hey, that's too bad, man. Let's get you a drink.
( Cheers and applause )
Can they score the victory they need
to keep them in the business?
Performing "Runaround Sue" by Dion,
here is North Shore.
( Cheers and applause )
♪ Here's my story ♪
♪ it's sad but true ♪ bom bom bom ♪
♪ ooh ♪ it's all about a girl ♪
♪ that I once knew ♪
♪ she took my love ♪
♪ then she ran around ♪
♪ ooh ♪ with every single ♪
♪ ooh ♪ guy in town ♪
♪ bom bom bom bom ♪
♪ I should have known it from the very start ♪
( Vocalizing )
♪ The girl would leave me with a broken heart ♪
♪ listen, people, what I'm telling you ♪
♪ to keep away from runaround Sue ♪
♪ I miss her lips and the smile on her face ♪
♪ the touch of her hair ♪
♪ girl's warm embrace ♪
♪ so if you don't want to cry like I do ♪
( Vocalizing )
♪ Keep away from runaround Sue ♪
♪ yay-hey ♪
♪ keep away from that girl ♪
♪ I don't know what she'll do ♪
♪ keep away from Sue ♪
♪ aahhh ♪
♪ she likes to travel around ♪
♪ yeah, she'll love you but she'll put you down ♪
♪ people, let me put you wise ♪
♪ you know, she goes out with other guys ♪
♪ here's the moral of the story ♪
♪ from the guy who knows ♪
♪ I fell in love, my love still grows ♪
♪ but ask any fool ♪
♪ she ever knew ♪
♪ to keep away from runaround Sue ♪
♪ yeah ♪ ( Vocalizing )
♪ Keep away from that girl ♪ ( Vocalizing )
Come on. ( Audience members cheer )
♪ I don't know what she'll do ♪
♪ keep away from Sue ♪
♪ yeah ♪
♪ keep away from Sue ♪
♪ Sue ♪ Sue ♪
( Cheers and applause )
Nick: Yeah!
( Cheers and applause )
Yo, furgged about it!
( Laughter )
Great job, North Shore. That was awesome.
Let's go ahead and hear from the judges. Sara?
I'm in love with you all. I just loved it.
You... you... ( Chuckles )
You feel like family.
It reminds me of my dad and all the music
that I listened to growing up with him,
and it's done so impeccably,
and I love when I can't tell who's singing which part
from the harmonies.
I just... your blend is so perfect,
I can't even pick out the voices,
besides guy, who is a stellar front man,
and you have so much personality.
I mean, my God!
( Cheers and applause )
But I wanted to say, you had mentioned that, you know,
the economy has been so rough
that you had considered trying to look in another direction.
Don't stop singing. Please, don't stop singing.
( Cheers and applause )
Ben? How'd they do?
Well, you can't argue with that.
That... that was great.
You guys are so relaxed, and when you're relaxed
and you hang on to the groove like that,
and you don't... you don't rush and you don't push it,
like, all us kids learned something from that,
because "energy" doesn't necessarily mean
you go flying off the handle. ( Drumming rapidly )
Thomas, the bass lines are awesome.
Those were...
( Cheers and applause )
And, you know, really relatable bass part,
like, you know, you could just have the lead vocal
and the bass, and it was still gonna groove,
and all without a beat box, which is refreshing.
This is not what makes music groove, is drums, necessarily.
And you guys rocked it. You guys are great.
( Cheers and applause )
Shawn?
You know, when doo-wop is done right,
it sounds so crisp and clean and classic and timeless.
You gentlemen did it right. ( Burst of applause )
And it's so nice to have veterans like yourselves
on a show like this because it provides an authenticity
that, honestly, only the Sing-Off can actually have.
Like, it really shows these youngsters
what it takes to really be true performers
and really be true, you know, singers
and a cappella performers.
And, honestly, the bass of doo-wop,
you know, is the bass,
and, Thomas,
you held it down, man. You held it down.
( Burst of applause )
And, uh, guy, with your energy, man,
I love you, man.
( Cheers and applause )
( Shawn laughing )
Your energy is awesome,
and the way you delivered the lead was perfect.
It wasn't too much. It definitely wasn't too little.
It was a great performance, great performance.
( Cheers and applause )
Okay. Well, we're moments away
from seeing if your run will be extended.
Thanks again, North Shore. Great job.
( Cheers and applause )
When we come back, east coast college friends
take us on a sentimental journey home.
Then, the judges make another tough choice...
Who will stay in key with the competition
and who's getting locked out.
This is the Sing-Off.
( Cheers and applause )
( Performers vocalizing )
I love these men. I love them all.
These are great guys.
We've been together a long time.
I've been together with these guys longer
than any woman I ever knew.
We're going to the top, you know what I'm saying?
The Sing-Off. All right!
(Applause)
Before they step onto our Sing-Off stage,
all of our groups put in a ton of preparation
because they know this is their chance
to make a name for themselves.
If they don't hit all the right notes,
it could cost them a shot at the $200,000 grand prize
and the Sony music record deal.
Our final group before elimination
are close-knit college singers
who are keeping alive a long tradition of friendship
and passion for music.
We headed to the university of Delaware
to get in tune with the Deltones.
We're the Deltones, from the university of Delaware.
Whoo!
In the Deltones, we have a motto.
That's "friends first, singers second."
♪ My heart knows you better than I know myself ♪
Every single member matters
because we need all the voice parts,
but for us, it definitely runs much deeper than that.
These people taught me how to love to the fullest.
( Vocalizing ) ♪ you're not the one for me ♪
The five original members were actually rejected
from the other a cappella groups on campus,
so they decided to form their own group,
and they found acceptance with each other,
and that same spirit of acceptance
is very much a part of the Deltones today.
When I first got to college,
I didn't make a lot of friends.
And Deltones teaches you to do that.
It teaches you to be open and be vulnerable
and let people into your life.
Anyone who gets into this group is lucky for that reason.
♪ There's something ♪
♪ in ♪
♪ your eyes ♪
This song feels like home.
I first started listening to that song
when I was 14.
I was going through a pretty rough time with my family,
and I guess to me it was almost like a dream.
It was like I'd lost this feeling of home
from when I was a kid.
( Voice breaking ) And, um...
I was just trying to find it again.
♪ Feels like home to me ♪
Being able to sing that song with this group,
where I actually found a piece of that home again...
That's, you know...
Man, you can't ask for more than that, you know?
♪ ...way home ♪ ( Vocalizing )
( Cheers and applause )
They've found a home in each other,
but will they find a home on our stage?
Singing "Feels like home" by Randy Newman,
here are the Deltones.
( Cheers and applause )
Man: One, two,
one, two, three.
Woman: ♪ There's something in your eyes ♪
♪ makes me want to lose myself ♪
♪ in your arms ♪
( Vocalizing )
♪ There's something in your voice ♪
♪ makes my heart beat fast ♪
♪ I hope ♪
♪ this feeling lasts ♪
♪ the rest of my life ♪
♪ if you knew ♪
♪ how much this moment ♪
♪ means to me ♪
♪ and how long ♪ ( Vocalizing )
♪ I've waited ♪ ( Vocalizing )
♪ For your touch ♪ ( Vocalizing )
♪ If you knew ♪
♪ how happy ♪
♪ you are making me ♪
♪ I never thought ♪
♪ I'd love anyone ♪
♪ so much ♪
♪ it feels like home to me ♪
♪ feels like home to me ♪
♪ feels like I'm all the way back ♪
♪ where I come from ♪
♪ whoa ♪
♪ it feels like home ♪
♪ to me ♪
♪ feels like home ♪
♪ feels like I'm all the way back ♪
♪ where I belong ♪ ( Vocalizing )
♪ Feels like I'm all ♪ ( Vocalizing )
♪ The way back ♪ ( Vocalizing )
♪ Where I ♪ ( Vocalizing )
♪ Belong ♪
( Vocalizing )
( Cheers and applause )
( Applause continuing )
Nick: The Deltones!
That was a really moving performance, guys.
Great job, great job.
Let's see if the judges felt it.
Sara, what'd you think?
My heart is beating fast.
I feel like I got transported.
I felt like I went on that journey with you guys.
The whole story about feeling like you found your home
with your a cappella group...
Maybe to some people who don't have that experience,
it might sound a little cheesy, but that was totally my experience
in getting to college and feeling like
I was seeing the world for the first time,
and ripped away from the familiar surroundings
of being at home, and your parents' safety
and all that stuff.
I remember I have a diary entry,
when I finally got accepted into my a cappella group,
and I was like, "I've found, like, my tribe.
These are my people," you know?
Um, I thought the arrangement was really beautiful,
and I felt like you were
a little nervous to start, Jessica,
but as soon as everyone was behind you
and I think you could feel everyone's support,
I really felt like I saw growth
and a lot of power and strength,
and there was... there was a real sort of innocence
to the... to that whole arrangement
and that performance that I really liked.
Well done.
( Applause )
- Ben? - Well, first of all, Jessica,
your friends backed you up really well.
It's obvious that there's a lot of care in the background vocals
that they weren't beating you up,
and there was such a pretty arrangement back there.
I thought that what might have been interpreted
as nerves at the top came off to me like
just really appropriate vulnerability.
The slow build was really artful.
Nice work. It took its time to get up there.
Post-bridge almost blew Jessica away
with the female background vocals,
and that's when you were flipping into your head voice
and dodging it a little bit.
Only place that I was distracted at all.
Overall, it was just moving, and that's the main thing,
and you guys rocked it.
( Applause )
- Shawn? ( Chuckles ) - Uh...
"Friends first, singers second," huh?
That's cool. And the fact that you guys went from five
and spawned to fifteen, that's amazing too.
I really felt the sincerity.
Jessica, you have a really beautiful voice.
I think that, um...
( Applause )
It was such a moving and emotional song that,
yeah, I heard little quivers here and there.
A lot of times, it's not always about how perfect a song is,
but how good it felt, and it just felt good.
I feel like you have a lot of potential.
I think that even with this song,
as beautiful as it was,
I think that you guys still have a lot more to show,
so I look forward to hearing that.
( Applause )
All right.
Well, we'll find out soon if you all will be
calling our stage home fojust a little while longer.
Thank you so much, Deltones. Great job.
( Cheers and applause )
Four more groups have sung their hearts out,
but only three will feel the love from the judges.
One group will sing their swan song.
The final elimination of the night
is coming right up on the Sing-Off.
Hold that note.
( Cheers and applause )
( Performers vocalizing )
We were backstage. It was right before the opening number,
and I turned to everyone, I'm like,
"oh, my gosh! Guys, we're on the Sing-Off!
We're really... we're on it now, right now!"
It's really just an incredible experience,
to be here with all these fantastic people
in front of three incredible musicians
who are giving us such great feedback.
It's... just a pleasure to be here.
( Performers vocalizing ) (Applause )
We are back on the Sing-Off, and I'm joined by four groups
waiting to hear their fate... The Collective...
( Cheers and applause )
Soul'd Out...
( Cheers and applause )
North Shore...
( Cheers and applause )
And the university of Delaware Deltones.
( Cheers and applause )
During the break, the judges chose three
to advance in the competition;
the other will be let go.
I have the results right here.
( Performers vocalizing )
Three of these groups
are about to get the go-ahead from our judges,
but one group will be going home.
The first two groups to advance to the next round are...
North Shore...
( Cheers and applause )
And...
The Collective!
( Cheers and applause )
Congratulations. You're both safe.
Head back to your boxes.
That leaves Soul'd Out and the Deltones.
Soul'd Out, the judges were all impressed
with how you high schoolers held your own tonight.
Shawn thought your group captured
the essence of a difficult song;
Sara said your energy was infectious
but noted your chords got muddled;
Ben said you had a strong start
but didn't lock the harmonies in the second half.
Deltones,
the judges connected with your sincere performance.
Sara said you got her heart beating;
Ben raved about the artful arrangement
but thought your vocal balance could have been better;
Shawn loved your "friends first" philosophy
but wanted your song's solo to cut through the chorus
with more power.
One of you is guaranteed a spot in the next round;
the other will be walking off the stage
singing their swan song.
The group that still is in the running for the Sing-Off title is...
( Performers vocalizing )
The Deltones!
( Cheers and applause )
Congratulations. You've moved on to the next round.
Soul'd Out...
( Cheers and applause )
You all showed tremendous spirit,
and clearly you have a bright, bright,
bright future ahead of you.
Thank you all so much for being a part of our show.
( Cheers and applause )
Now please...
Pick up your Mikes one last time
for your swan song.
Singing their farewell to the competition,
it's Soul'd Out.
Boy: Two, three.
( Vocalizing )
♪ Times have changed ♪
♪ and times are strange ♪
♪ here I come, but I ain't the same ♪
( Vocalizing )
♪ Mama, I'm coming home ♪
( Vocalizing )
♪ You took me in ♪
♪ yeah, you drove me out ♪
♪ yeah, you had me hypnotized ♪
♪ yeah ♪
♪ lost and found ♪
♪ and turned around ♪
♪ by the fire in your eyes ♪
♪ in your eyes ♪
♪ I've seen your face a thousand times ♪
♪ seen your face a thousand times ♪
♪ every day ♪
♪ we've been apart ♪
♪ every day... ♪
♪ and I don't care about the ♪
♪ sunshine ♪ sunshine ♪
♪ yeah ♪
♪ 'cause, mama ♪
♪ mama, I'm coming ♪
♪ home ♪ oh, I'm coming ♪
♪ home ♪ coming home ♪
( Cheers and applause )
Woman: We love you!
( Cheers and applause )
That was Soul'd Out singing
"Mama, I'm coming home" by Ozzy Osbourne.
And don't forget you can download
any of the songs you heard tonight on iTunes.
Next week the Sing-Off kicks into high gear,
as the contenders from last week's bracket
continue the battle of the vocal bands.
They'll each deliver two great performances,
singing mega hits by artists like Kesha,
Coldplay, and Lady Gaga,
as well as the biggest classics from the '60s.
A ton of incredible songs are gonna be vocally remixed
in ways you've never heard.
I'm Nick Lachey, signing off from the Sing-Off.
( Cheers and applause )
( Performers vocalizing )
Sync and corrected by dr.jackson for www.addic7ed.com
( Performers vocalizing )