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Gary Jules is a secret "American Idol" fan. So when Adam Lambert sang "Mad World" on Tuesday night's show, the man who helped make that song famous was watching.

"I was actually sneakily watching it," Jules told Seacoastonline by phone Wednesday from his home in Asheville, N.C. "I heard the piano line at the beginning - if you're me, that means 'time to wake up.'"

Jules didn't know about the theme of the night - songs from the year the season eight top eight contestants were born. Or that Adam Lambert was born in 1982 and that meant the original +$+#% for Fears song, "Mad World," was a possibility.

Still, Jules wasn't surprised when he heard that piano.

"I said 'I knew he was going to do it.' I knew it! He's cool and he's kind of emo-y and has black hair and seems sensitive. That's who would have that song in their lexicon," Jules said. "He totally understood the vibe of it and the power of it and delivered it in a unique and beautiful way. ... I think Adam is straight-up the most interesting, for my personal taste, of anyone I've ever seen on the show."
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In the middle of putting out a new album, he's been having conversations daily about the nature of publicity.

"And now I've figured it out. I'm not even going to get a publicist," he joked. "I'm going to get on 'American Idol' every week."

This isn't even his first brush with "Idol" fame. Or his second. Jules talked to Simon Cowell twice back in 2003 and the notoriously picky judge told Jules how much he loved his version of "Mad World." Jules didn't recognize Cowell's name at the time, but six years later the same man would give a standing ovation to Lambert's live version.
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So when Lambert sang "Mad World" last night, he knew the reaction would be immediate.

"I had 2,400 e-mails in my inbox," Jules said. He killed off most of them, but when his e-mail renewed there were immediately 400 more. "It was crazy."

Many of the questions were about Lambert. Do they get along? Did Adam tell Jules he would be doing the song?

"I don't know what it is, people kind of assume me and Adam Lambert must've rubbed elbows before ... (as if) he and I (were) hanging out at Jack Nicholson's house."

(For the record, they've never met.)

Other questions were of a professional nature. Is this going to turn into something for you?

Jules said he doesn't think of it that way anymore since the song has had such a long history, but the answer is yes and no.

"When it's on 'American Idol,' if one in 1,000 listen to the rest of the songs on my MySpace and buy a record and cross a bridge into my stuff ... it's the greatest gift ever."