Taylor Dayne alters hit melodies, may have displeased Filipino fans
It was obvious that singer Edwin McCain was the more applauded performer during the back-to-back concert with Taylor Dayne held June 1 at the Mall Of Asia Arena in Pasay, Manila.
Sure, Dayne showcased the power vocals that naturally elicited wild cheers. But by significantly altering the melodies of her hit songs with her vocal acrobatics, she somehow put the audience in an awkward position to really appreciate her performance. She did get the applause, though not as loud as the one heard for McCain after his last number. And no cries for an encore, too.
Dayne, the 50-year old American pop singer behind the hit songs "Love Will Lead You Back," "Tell It To My Heart" and "I'll Always Love You," proved to be too playful with melody runs that she sang all three songs mentioned in a way that deviated largely from their recorded versions.
The voluptuous act called her Filipino crowd "beautiful people" during her set and appreciated their presence, saying, "It means the world to me." McCain entertained Filipinos prior to Dayne's set, with his big voice carrying stage moments complemented by a band of back-up musicians he is familiar with, including a sax player he's been with for 22 years running.
Front act got better audience reaction
When it came down to singing "I'll Be," McCain brought the house down with his emphatic interpretation of his signature piece, which hewed faithfully to the melody. "You can sing this song better than me," he told the crowd, who responded by singing the song's chorus, to the artist's obvious delight.
In an interview prior to the concert, McCain was asked if he and Dayne would be willing to collaborate on a project. "It's not something we've had the chance to discuss yet, but I'd be open to it — she's a great talent with an amazing voice," he replied.
While a lot of artists do change up their hit songs when they perform live, some music fans just want to hear the songs delivered as close as possible to the original recording.
