22 hours ago22 hr Author SEVEN12 | Rufus Wainwright10 | Laura Nyro08 | Sibylle Baier07 | Exuma06 | Scott Walker05 | Aimee Mann04 | Đorđe Balašević03 | Leonard Cohen02 | Buffy Saine-Marie01 | Alanis MorissetteAbout 5 tracks appeared in this contest that I had on my shortlist to send but in the end I decided this was a theme where I could send something older... my parents used to listen to singer/songwriter tracks all the time so I went with something I can remember from my childhood in the form of Melanie. My dad used to play it in the car all the time and I loved this version where it starts off quiet and builds towards the choir, the single initially released was much more immediate with the choir and I think it loses some of the subtlety as a result. One of those songs I was contemplating sending was indeed April Fools so it gains a maximum from me, Rufus really is quite a special singer/songwriter and this showcases his fun side brilliantly.Somewhat frustratingly I shot myself in the foot by pushing Leonard Cohen above Melanie! A strong showing from Laura Nyro and Sibylle Baier for me as well pushed both those tracks up into the top 20. Time next to find out what Jim sent!
22 hours ago22 hr A strong selection from our hosts *.*I only knew 'Brand New Key' and 'Ruby Tuesday' by Melanie before this contest but this choice blew them both out of the water.I read up on the song during the listening session, as I was intrigued about the meaning behind the lyrics and found that The Edwin Hawkins Singers of 'Oh Happy Day' fame provided vocals on it too. They also really added to it!
22 hours ago22 hr Author EIGHTOn 26/08/2026 at 18:17, jimwatts said:I've wanted to send a Leonard Cohen song to one of these contests for a while - my favourite of his is 'Suzanne' from 1967, but as well as having over 100m streams, I'd already chosen to play it at one of the Sunday listening sessions. 'Bird On The Wire' from 1969 is another of my favourites, and I also considered 'Everybody Knows' from the same album as the track I chose, although that was a co-write... Here are my votes - I'd settled on my top 3 in the morning before Dolly's death was announced:+12 Elvis Costello - I Want You+10 Dolly Parton - Coat of Many Colours+8 Alanis Morissette - That I Would Be Good+7 Đorđe Balašević - Ne lomite mi bagrenje+6 Jewel - Foolish Games+5 Dory Previn - The Lady With The Braid+4 Melanie - Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)+3 Scott Walker - Such a Small Love+2 Exuma - Dambala+1 PJ Harvey - 50 Ft QueenieCommiserations:Buffy Saine-Marie - The Big Ones Get AwayIris DeMent - Let The Mystery BeSibylle Baier - I Lost Something in the HillsSo it's Jim who is behind the previous leader Leonard Cohen... and sadly his votes push two votes past his own entry with Alanis Morissette taking the lead for the first time! A maximum for Elvis Costello pushes I Want You into the top 10 - things are so tight that a big score for anyone sees them leap up a lot!Next we find out who gooddelta sent...
22 hours ago22 hr Oooh the Leonard track was the one that took a bit more time to grow on me - but found myself singing along to it in later listens And also - come on GD, keep the Herbs love going!
22 hours ago22 hr I did wonder if Jim might be behind Leonard Cohen so finally a correct instinct!I really ought to dive deeper into Cohen as the aforementioned 'Suzanne' in your commentary has become a big favourite, plus I liked your pick for this contest too.
22 hours ago22 hr A stronger start than I could have hoped for 💚 thanks for the points dandy, Mango and Lee, and especially vibe for a 10 and Dobbo for 12!
22 hours ago22 hr Author NINEOn 24/08/2026 at 17:37, gooddelta said:12 POINTS: Melanie - Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)10 POINTS: Leonard Cohen - First We Take Manhattan08 POINTS: Fish - A Gentleman's Excuse Me07 POINTS: Aimee Mann - Stupid Thing06 POINTS: Đorđe Balašević - Ne lomite mi bagrenje05 POINTS: Noriyuki Makihara - Mo Koinante Shinai04 POINTS: Kate Bush - Ken03 POINTS: Jewel - Foolish Games02 POINTS: Natalie Merchant - Wonder01 POINT: Alanis Morissette - That I Would Be GoodSo it was Rich who was behind Youssou N'Dour and currently finds himself in the top 10 with an entry that definitely stood out from the pack... sadly we didn't spot the BJSC Spin Off recycle until a keen eyed/eared Jade did in the listen through - the first of two things that poor Addy will be side eyeing at following a veto! (more on that later!) - and Rich has to be happy enough with the current scores as the top 2 mirror his own (thank you btw!)... a few entries that I haven't focused on yet that are doing well score here again in the shape of Đorđe Balašević and Noriyuki Makihara - loving seeing our foreign language entries doing well at this stage.Addy is up next...
22 hours ago22 hr Thanks to the voters so far and apologies to those who had heard it before, I completely forgot that The Lion was sent to the BJSC 80s spin-off until Jade mentioned it! I did a site search too and couldn’t find mention of it. I know that sub forum is rather hidden away.Shamefully I even voted high for it at the time so feel a bit silly now as I was really happy with this as a kind of leftfield entry for this theme, but now it just looks a bit uninspired! Memory issues…Also just wanted to say huge props to Dandy and Jim, absolutely fantastic discoveries and it’s great to give my top points to songs doing so well.I only knew two songs by Melanie too and this was such a revelation.While I’ve never really been into Leonard Cohen at all, yet this is great and so is the song of his Tom Jones covered and is at No.1 on iTunes with which I only heard yesterday for the first time. Edited 22 hours ago22 hr by gooddelta
22 hours ago22 hr 2 minutes ago, dandy* said:sadly we didn't spot the BJSC Spin Off recycle until a keen eyed/eared Jade did in the listen through apologies for the exposé!I've just done a search in the BJSC '80s spin-off results thread and it's fitting that Rich is voter #9 as he gave 9 points to this song when it was sent there
22 hours ago22 hr Author TENOn 29/08/2026 at 00:59, Addy! said:12 Dolly Parton - Coat of Many Colours - (1971) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SyP0Sy9KFf010 Noriyuki Makihara - Mo Koinante Shinai - (1992) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naz0-szzYXk08 PJ Harvey - 50 Ft Queenie - (1993) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKLiU7Hq93w07 Stina Nordenstam - Little Star - (1994) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzMaivdJ2jc06 Melanie - Lay Down (Candles in the Rain) - (1970) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1sFa2ilgN405 Leonard Cohen - First We Take Manhattan - (1988) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTTC_fD598A04 Đorđe Balašević - Ne lomite mi bagrenje - (1986) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyMIrlUt37M03 Jewel - Foolish Games - (1995) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RlDaqtFHtA02 Youssou N'Dour - The Lion (Gaiende) - (1989) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxnkYygQrZU01 Aimee Mann - Stupid Thing - (1993) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTm7aZE6u6wI've been suspiciously quiet about Dolly Parton up to this point but a maximum here pushes her up into the top 3 - will the predictions come true as we get into the later voters after her sad passing this week? </3 At the other end of the table Stina Nordenstam gets off the mark leaving just one track yet to score, will our next voter rectify that?Over to Scene...
22 hours ago22 hr 24 minutes ago, Herbs said:Also just realised Aimee is stuck on 1 point - wtaf?!Tell me about it! I know she's picked up a few more now but I'm disappointed she's struggling so far... having said that, I'm very happy to see Melanie in the lead at the moment, that was such a good discovery!
22 hours ago22 hr Finding it interesting that Leonard Cohen is near the top of the scoreboard - maybe I'd have been more into his version if I didn't already know the Jennifer Warnes version but even so I'd have thought this version is less BuzzJack friendly than Jennifer's so I wonder if her version might have done even better!I really ought to compile an updated list of BJSC spinoff entries as they are admittedly a bit hidden away (and my memory of them is clearly not that great as I didn't clock that it had been used before until Jade pointed it out, though I did know it sounded familiar from somewhere when I heard it). The Youssou song is a good tune anyway so not mad at it getting a second contest outing.I only knew 'One Of Us' from Joan Osborne before as far as I'm aware, I do like that song but not to the extent that I was particularly anticipating her entry here to be a favourite for me - but I absolutely loved this one so thanks for the discovery Addy!
22 hours ago22 hr Author ELEVENOn 24/08/2026 at 13:30, Scene said:12 Downtown Train (Tim Waits)10 Wonder (Natalie Merchant)8 Ne lomite mi bagrenje (Djordje Balasevic)7 Coat of Many Colors (Dolly Parton)6 Lay Down (Melanie)5 That I Would Be Good (Alanis Morissette)4 Foolish Games (Jewel)3 First We Take Manhattan (Leonard Cohen)2 The Lady With The Braid (Dory Previn)1 St. Teresa (Joan Osborne)Eleven votes in and we're starting to see the pack being separated a bit more but, as I've said before, a good score can rocket you skywards - and that's the case this time for Tom Waits who becomes the latest entrant to gain a maximum. Jewel has been quietly receiving points now and creeps into the top 10 as well.Matto next!
22 hours ago22 hr I think I'd possibly have guessed at Ani DiFranco being Mattias' so wrong again! Another good pick there, effective use of a precision F-bomb, shame it's doing quite poorly so far.
22 hours ago22 hr It is a nice surprise to see that current top 4. I did not expect the top 2 to do this well!
22 hours ago22 hr 3 minutes ago, Bror said:I really ought to compile an updated list of BJSC spinoff entries as they are admittedly a bit hidden away Stats too please for entirely unselfish reasons (agreed that Joan Osborne song was a good'un)
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