OH!
I know it's not Ask BK Day, but...
I recently introduced a friend of mine to Kristin Chenoweth's recording of "Lion Tamer". He's basically been listening to it non-stop for the past two days. You've mentioned that that was a "one take wonder". Was there any other "story" to that story? I thought you had posted something somewhere before, but I can't seem to Search/Google it out.
She came in and we hugged and I sent her in to do a take on her own, which is what I always do - then we listen, I give whatever notes I have and we do another and then however many takes are needed till I feel we have enough to put together a great vocal.
She sang the song - it was perfect. Sometimes it just happens. I got on the talkback and said, "Go home." She came in the booth and said, "Don't you need me to do it again?" I said, "It was absolute perfection, listen." We played it back for her and she agreed and said, "I just sang it from the heart." I said, "You should sing everything from the heart, then." I let her do another take just so she could, but she knew the first one had the heart and the magic.