Idol' Stars DeWyze and Bowersox Talk Recording Debut LPs

Days after the American Idol finale, both of this season's finalists, winner Lee DeWyze and runner-up Crystal Bowersox, have already signed record deals. DeWyze has inked with 19 Recordings and RCA Records, home to former Idol all-stars like David Cook, Kelly Clarkson, Adam Lambert and Daughtry, while Bowersox will release music through 19 Recordings and Jive Records. Their debut albums will hit stores around the holidays, a rep for Bowersox and DeWyze confirms to Rolling Stone.

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In a conference call with reporters today, DeWyze told RS about the direction he'd like to head in for his debut, citing artists like Simon and Garfunkel, Kings of Leon and Ben Harper as influences. "I know it sounds bad but I just got the new Kings of Leon album," DeWyze said. "I liked their first albums a lot — they were a little harder, but I really dig their newest album. I like that sound — it’s very gritty but at the same time it’s got great hooks and great lyrics and they break it down and it can be a little more chill, a little more heavy." DeWyze also mentioned listening to former Idol champ Kris Allen's debut as an inspiration. "He got to do a lot of things he wanted to do on his album, and I know I’m going to get a chance to do the same thing," DeWyze told RS. "I'm going to have a lot of say in it and that was something I was worried about in the beginning."

Bowersox, on the other hand, mentioned some of the artists she'd like to collaborate with, including Melissa Etheridge, Joe Cocker and Alanis Morissette, who performed "You Oughta Know" with Bowersox on the finale. "There's a lot of music that I personally love and enjoy," Bowersox said. "And the craziest thing is that it's all possible now to work with these people — I can say it and it'll be true."

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Song Stories

“Tonight's the Night”

The Shirelles | 1960

The lead cut and title track from this girl group's debut album, "Tonight's the Night" was written by 19-year-old bandmember Shirley Owens, who sings lead, and producer Luther Dixon. The band from Passaic, New Jersey met in high school, first calling themselves the Pequellos. The song's frank thoughts about sexual and emotional surrender was racy for the time, but that didn't stop the Chiffons from cutting a similar version immediately after the original came out. "We were the first female group to write some of our own material," band member Beverly Lee recalls. "We did have some say-so in our writing."

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