Jason Derulo could apparently still improve
Scott had developed a recurring habit of offering vocal coaching to singers who very obviously did not need him.
Previous victims included George Ezra, London Grammar and The Script.
Jason Derulo was now joining the list.
Chris pointed out that Jason had sold around 30 million records worldwide.
Scott’s response was that anybody could improve.
His coaching method did not involve scales, breathing exercises or technical singing advice.
Scott shouted interpretations of the artist’s own lyrics back at them while they sang.
The theory was that forcing a performer to think literally about what they were saying would create more emotion.
Jason initially seemed understandably unsure about the arrangement.
Scott kept stopping and directing him, asking for greater feeling and treating himself like a demanding studio producer.
By the end, Jason appeared to be enjoying the absurdity.
Chris considered that a success because, at the beginning, he thought the guest might simply hate Scott.
The lyric had to mean something
Scott’s favourite part of the coaching was taking extremely familiar pop lyrics and acting as though they were pieces of serious dramatic text.
The words had been sung thousands of times.
Scott wanted Jason to imagine the exact situation described and deliver the line as though it were happening for the first time.
The gulf between Jason’s professional ability and Scott’s qualifications was the joke.
Scott still approached the session with complete confidence.
Another birthday meant another conception story
Where Do You Think They Were? returned.
The reward remained one of the biggest birthday shout-outs Radio 1 could create, with presenters and celebrities recorded wishing the listener well.
The cost was hearing a parent explain how and where the listener had been conceived.
Scott knew the feature was brutal.
He also knew people kept volunteering.
By this point listeners were even nominating friends and family members with approaching birthdays.
Scott and Chris would contact both sides and try to build the necessary reconstruction.
The pair repeatedly stressed that conception was natural.
That did absolutely nothing to reduce the embarrassment once a mum or dad started supplying specific locations and dates.
Bangers still mattered
Thursday also brought the end of that week’s Bangers contest.
Scott felt confident he could take the weekly victory.
As usual, confidence had relatively little connection with the actual result.
The segment remained a simple listener choice between one track selected by Scott and one selected by Chris.
The amount of emotional investment the presenters attached to the scoreboard was considerably less simple.
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