Karaoke Forums

I was just kicking this around in my head and was hoping to get a few more stories like mine.

I'm sure you've all had singers at your shows whose choice of music was a total surprise. Here are two of my favorites.

One is a lady who came in and asked if I would sing Elvira (Oak Ridge Boys) with her. The music started and she did not sing. I shot a look over her way and she gestured me to keep going. When we got to the chorus (Giddyup-a-oom-papa-mow-mow) this woman busted out in a bass that had me doubting my manhood. The look of shock on the other patrons' faces was priceless! At first they thought it was me, but when I threw up may hands and shrugged my shoulders the crowd went wild and gave her a standing O!

The other one was a guy who came in dressed all in black. He had a sleeveless t-shirt, and an Elvis popmadour along with the sideburns thing going on. I thought to myself, "Uh-oh, ANOTHER Elvis wannabe." (For those of you who do this enough, you know what I mean) Anyhow the guy turned in his slip and the song number matched up to a Carpenters tune. I asked him if maybe he didn't write the number down wrong, but he said no, that was the song he wanted. When his turn came up he strode to the mic and sang like he was channeling Karen Carpenter from the great beyond. Once again, the crowd was speechless!

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Spreading the karaoke gospel

Mike

I've seen that too.

I saw a 75 year old white guy do "Babys Got Back" and never missed a note. Awsome.

I saw another guy do both male and female parts on a duet. Outstanding.

Just sayin'

Jerry

Mike,
I Put some real shocking looks in a few KJ's faces lately coming back from Nashville to here in New Mexico.. pulling 5 and 1/2 octives out between 2 songs going from a deep Waylon Jennings to a Rascal Flatts.
and on the third song pulling Paula Abdul's "Straight Up" off without losing a note.. But 98% of the people on this planet who sing karaoke can't do that without some rehersal. It does take vocal training and alot of work.
it's not a fluke that these people walk into shows and "Just Do It"

Brian

With that range, all you need is bigger B O O B S!

Then the record companies will beat a path to your door.

Just sayin', it ain't easy.

Jerry

JD,
I need to be stacked and have the looks of a super model and do the deeds of a porn star and my money from a sugar daddy and sing like madonna or faith hill to get a major label record deal these days...
That's just about what it takes these days.. the ladies are in.. the guys are few and far between.. In the big time..

I would like to think I'm one of those surprising singers.
Most people see a big guy like me and then hear me sing Led zepplin or Acdc and the looks on their faces are priceless. they cant figure out how that voice comes from me.

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Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.....and sometimes the beholder is definitely blind as a bat!

Kahuna,

I have seen so many singers in competition and in regular shows.. do somany great things.. that almost nothing surprizes me anymore.. i don't even judge them in competition until the song is finished.. because it's only fair.. and that's where the surprized usually come in is after a comp judge has made thier biased minds up.

Along the same lines of this topic, many of you have obviously seen others whose looks did not seem like they would match their song choice. However, have any of you sen what they were about to sing and cringed because you were sure they were going to ruin a good song, only to be surprised?

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War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature, and has no chance of being free unless made or kept so by the exertions of better men than himself.
--John Stuart Mill

the last time I went "Clubbing" this happened with me.

I put in the song request "Bawitdaba" and... well, this is what I look like.

The KJ bumped me down in the rotation (WHICH ticked me off royally), and then when she FINALLY called me up (my buddy Tig put in a Matchbox 20 "Unwell" song ten minutes after I did, but sang four singers before me!!), I f*in' NAILED it. I had the whole bar headbangin' and I got a standing ovation. I turned around to hand her the mic, and she had this stunned look on her face. AND even admitted (much to her credit) that she DID bump me down thinking I was going to trash the song, and make everyone cringe!

NEVER judge a book by it's cover. It'll eventually burn you!

That's about as good a reaction as I got when I went to a new show and put up "Mack the Knife" on the same slip with "Once bitten Twice Shy". It took me almost an hour to get up, and even then it was only because I asked the host why a couple people sang twice before I even got up once. I still wish I had a camera for the look on his face when I was through- PRICELESS!

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Let's Kick the Tires and Light the Fires!

We have a women in her mid to late 60's that ocasionally comes in and sings "Sweet Child O Mine", and an ocasional Pink Floyd tune. She's not awesome, but definitely entertaining!

One friend of mine (all my regulars are friends) can sing classic Black Sabbath better than Ozzy can now. Now, imagine this sound coming from a 6'5", 300#+ black man. He always shocks anyone seeing him for the first time.

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"C'mon people! We can get drunker than this!"

We have a guy that comes on Wednesdays, imagine the stapler guy from Office Space but without a mustache. He always wears a long sleeve shirt and tie and slacks and nice wing tip shoes. He's a very quiet, kind guy that has nothing bad to say about anybody or anything.

He usually sings Sinatra.

But sometimes he will sing "Enter Sandman" and ROCK THE HOUSE. And in the middle part where he says the prayer, he actually sounds very very evil. Plus he takes off his tie and acts all metal with it.

I have gotten the comments like "I didn't expect that voice to come out of YOU" which I didn't know was a compliment or not, maybe it was, and it was just because I am a short person with a really big voice. Or because I could pull off rap and I'm, well, white.

I guess singers can be suprised to. I was at one of my regular Karaoke haunts one night. I just got back from what must have been a good rendition of "Mack The Knife" ala Bobby Darin. Someone had come in and sat at the bar next to me while I was gone. He said "I thought it was Karaoke night here" and something about were they on break. I said "No they're set up way in the back and you can't see from here. (the owner was building a stage and that was the interim location). He said "Oh. I thought that was the jukebox going." .....Mega compliment!!, Mega suprise . I never did tell him it was me singing.

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Jazz and Swing Live (as long as I do).

isn't that KEWL when that happens??? And you're right. It IS a heckuva compliment.

Many people often frown on karaoke, until they go to a venue where people take it seriously!!!

To be honest, I'd hate to see a lot of Americans suddenly transported to Japan for karaoke. Those people are fanatics about it, and treat it very, VERY seriously!!

Matt

Its great when people enjoy it. I have, I won't say a lot but a fair number of, regulars that never sing. But they still enjoy coming every karaoke night just to listen to the others. I really like that part because they add to the atmosphere as well as the night's take over the bar.

There's girl around here who pottered about on the edges of the industry a few years back singing average backing vocals in small local bands and who then just dropped of the scene.
She has just recently reappeared and is blowing people away! She says she took a course of singing lessons but found the knack after the first 2 lessons so never completed the course but She is now Right UP There with some of the best I've heard.

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Imagine!

THAT's kewl!

I've been told I have a natural talent, but would definately improve with singing lessons. I just never gave it a lot of thought. I just don't take it that serious! !

I'm starting to think that there may be more to this than I first thought!

Matt

I worked in a band with a guy who took a few lessons and the difference was clearly audible after the first one. I suppose it depends on who the coach is but there must be some recommended somewhere near you.
(Not that I'm suggesting anybody needs them!)

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Imagine!

Berry
I did take some vocal instruction out of LA.. from one if the best..
the top instructors don't come inexpensive as you would assume but,
to this day he still consults me on how I do my vocals on my recordings and the "little things" that keep me singing in the live arena. This person has helped me keep a instrument I'm sure I would have destroyed in Karaoke and make it a selling point in a professional world.. There are not too many that can do that.. especailly when these types usually only will work with only major professionals.