Karaoke Forums

Ok, so we all know that not every karaoke singer is a potential American Idol contestant or winner, but give me a break Mr. Jackson, it isn't unheard of to come across one that blows you away every now and then. In the many years I have been doing this, both as a singer and a host, I have heard my share of immensely talented men and women. On Tuesday's broadcast of Idol, Randy told Clint Jun Gamboa that no karaoke singer in the world has that kind of vocal talent. Let me remind him, that Clint is a karaoke host!!! And does he really think that none of the other contestants go to karaoke? It is the easiest and most accessible place to practice and hone your singing craft. So, am I off the mark, or is he ignorant of the many talented karaoke lovers whom he does not get a chance to see?

I think that Randy is a lot like many of the bar owners I have encountered. They had a bad experience with karaoke and then think that all karaoke is like that.

I have singers that would blow Randy away! Trouble is, many of them are too old for AI, don't have the look, and too busy to chase their dreams.

I'm thinking it was just another feeble attempt by Randy to appear outrageous... Sorry Randy, but you'll never be Simon.... and those kinds of statements simply make you appear ignorant.

Y'know, it's amazing how many musicians I've seen who could never find a good word to say about Karaoke... until they tried it for themselves.. I have at least four "regulars" who fit that category... and a couple of those have become almost evangelical about singing without instruments.

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Earl
(BS, PHD & Certified CurmuDJeon)

[font=Times New Roman]"Growing Old may be mandatory... but growing UP is still optional."[/font]

I was just glad to see Clint get booted off the show. I believe that KARMA finally caught up with him for badly mistreating that young boy on the show.

I haven't been watching the show this year, but caught a few clips of Clint on You Tube. He comes across as cocky, maybe even downright arrogant, but definitely talented and doesn't just imitate the original singers, but reinterprets the songs -- which may be what Randy Jackson was talking about rather than just raw vocal talent itself.

For all his talent, I personally don't think Clint has the kind of star stage presence to be a big success. Maybe if he humbles himself a bit the future will be brighter for him, but I keep thinking of what happened to this guy....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-Uz-dPANDY

It's amazing that a show founded on karaoke seems to go out of their way to disrespect karaoke every chance they get during their karaoke contest.

I'm also disappointed that they eliminated so many good singers just so half of their finalists can be female. I mean really, most of those guys they got rid of were more talented and more female than the mediocre girls they were making room for.

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KNOW THYSELF

Singing is secondary to the success of this show - it is all about ratings and HUGE money from advertisers. The singing part just entertains the little idiots. Sorry. I really despise this type of show. Not much to do with singing at all.

Just a minor point of correction, American Idol is not karaoke.. they're singing along with a live band.

What's the difference? If you're a good singer, you'll be a good singer no matter what musical accompaniment you use, and if you're not a good singer, then you'll still not be a good singer. I've heard singers that are so bad, they could be backed up by the New York Philharmonic and they would still be terrible singers.

Teleprompter use on American Idol has been well documented.

I've been to "Live Band Karaoke" before... still Karaoke.

So if I know all the lyrics when I sing and don't look at the monitor, has it ceased to be karaoke?

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KNOW THYSELF

The very word 'Karaoke' means 'empty orchestra'.. singing along to what we used to call 'canned music'.

Being an entertainer is far more involved than simply having a pleasant singing voice.. stage presence, look, and the ability to 'work the crowd' all play into it.

Further, singing karaoke is generally a person singling along with music that for all practical intents and purposes is identical to the original version of the song.

Many times on AI, the performer is singing their own interpretation of the song, unlike many karaoke singers who have a fit if the KJ doesn't have their specific manu version of a song.

Cheese, actually ōkesutora was origionally a Japanese term for singing along to music videos coined in the late 70's. The term Karaoke was a bastardization of the word between Korean and English. But the actual practice of singalongs to prerecorded music in the U.S. started way before the word was even coined and way before lyrics were supplied on screen. There were songs done sans vocals on old 78's way back in the 30's for this purpose, in the 50's with television you had "Singalong with Mitch" where the words were supplied on screen with a bouncing ball to make the timing, other programs later on used the same process.

You are correct that the actual practice has always consisted of prerecorded music, live band karaoke is a fairly new practice. That is indeed what American Idol is "live Band Karaoke". As far as putting their own slant to a song don't most karaoke singers do just that?

I love Steven Tyler but I won't watch AI. Age discrimination.

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KingBing Entertainment C'mon Up! I have a song for you!!! [font=MS Sans Serif][/font]

I wonder if Randy Jackson realizes that a group of karaoke singers had the biggest-selling record for all of 1967, and one of the biggest of all time.

No, The Monkees did not play their own music when they recorded "I'm A Believer". They sang to a backing track that had been recorded in New York and sent to Don Kirshner in L.A.





I don't think having lyrics displayed is a definitive requirement for karaoke. As has been said, the rough translation of 'karaoke' is "empty orchestra", which to me means there is no band. Singing to a live band is therefore not karaoke. It is singing to a live band.




Doesn't it just amaze you that, in a land where one can successfully sue a company for your own stupidity, no-one has sued AI for discrimination on basis of age? Especially now that Mr. Cowell has openly admitted the wrong with the removal of age limit on X-Factor!

Yep. All it will take is one who has the kahonas to go thru with a long drawn out suit and won't settle out of court or on the side. Especially if he/she got the public on their side.

Randy's a butt wipe. Sorry but a very ignorant thing for him to say! I'd bet 90% of anybody that has appeared on that show has done karaoke.

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KingBing Entertainment C'mon Up! I have a song for you!!! [font=MS Sans Serif][/font]

Absolutely one of the best ways to keep chops in shape when between bands and gigs. Only snobs, wanna-be 'live' musicians look down on it. Interestingly, many who are in live bands have a hard time with karaoke. I have quite a few 'live' players come in and sing with me. Of course these are 'no ego' singers.

There are some GREAT karaoke singers no doubt.
But there is a huge difference in having a GREAT voice and being a GREAT entertainer. Some of the most succesful entertainers of all time had less than stellar singing voices. American Idol is not a singing contest but a contest to find someone who can be an IDOL ...voice , looks, attitude and likeability all play nto finding the next AI

Hmmm.......That sounds like the judging criteria for every karaoke contest I've ever seen.

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KNOW THYSELF

But it still "feels" like karaoke. The band is way in the back in a dark corner, while the singer uses the entire stage. They almost never "show" the band on camera during the songs; all the focus is on the singer. There's no interaction with the band, so qualities such as "stage presence" aren't noticed or evaluated.

Also, I'm not 100% positive about this, but I'm pretty sure that the first few seasons of Idol DID use prerecorded backing tracks. In the preliminary rounds, at least.

In any case, I hate that show and stopped watching it a while ago. It's ridiculous when the judges say "Aw, man... that wasn't good. It sounded like karaoke."

What's THAT supposed to mean? That all karaoke singers are bad?? There's good ones and bad ones! To deliver blanket comments like that, labeling ALL karaoke as garbage is uncalled for.

Another reason I stopped watching is because the show is 95% "filler." Some of the shows are TWO hours long, and the singers only get one and a half minutes of actual stage time to sing a shortened version of their song. It's ridiculous! Were there FIVE hours of Idol last week? I've got better things to do!

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[size=100][b][color=deepskyblue][u]Question[/u]: What do you call a fly without wings? [u]Answer[/u]: A "walk"[/color][/b][/size]

You have to realise here, mess ups are not on the agenda.
Bands can screw up. Backing tracks can't.
X-factor in the UK got shouted at for using Autotune.
Putting on professional entertainment MEANS you know how it will go.
Right to the last vote.
The psychology is enormous.