Karaoke Forums

I buy and list song versions that sound like the original song. Period,   I do not buy discs based on the company name.   Never have and never will.    I list the songs by what i have determined to be the best musical version, based on how close it come to the original    When buying and pre-listening to karaoke song samples, i will check out the leading brands first.    But i demand quality in the instrumentation and real instrument sounds, the correct lyrics, the tempo & timing and most of all how much is it like the one i'm use to hearing.

NO CONTRADICTION.    It's not based on the manufacturer for me.

Sidewinder,   Given the Chicago songs I've sung thus-far,  Off the top of my head it's not ALL Soundchoice that has the most authentic sounding renditions *to me*, but I may be wrong. Given what I've heard the choices just in terms of acceptable "legit band sound" fall between Charbuster and SC.. I haven't listened to chicago in a long time, and quite honestly in order to compare to original rendition I'd need to relisten to the original recorded early 70's chicago, yet I don't require 100%, just a really good sounding cover band, and that limits my options down to about two (given the sampling I've ever heard).

Also keep in mind the length of time some of these songs played for on the early LP's, WELL over 5 minutes in many many cases.  That'd need to be abbreviated for karaoke, and abbreviated is actually my personal preference too, some were LONG.  I'll settle for quality and authenticity without exact reproduction phrase for phrase. I haven't a clue where I'd find that.  
Those of you with an extensive library would know better than me about this area.

24 or 6 to 4 I'd give to Soundchoice handsdown
Colour my world to Chartbuster (yet neither rendition touch the original recorded song in terms of composition) just my own preference is Chartbuster..

Beyond that, realistically how many other options are there readily available ? Chicago played different renditions of their own material, so as long as the instruments and arrangement are authentic sounding, and nail enough nuances, most musicians (I'm speculating) will settle, NOT ALL granted,  but most want a good sounding backing band.. Quality and closest to genuine sounding band limit this vastly !!   SC and CB but who else ??  DUnno

I'd love to hear who does a great rendition of "I've been searching" because that's a gorgeous song !  I don't recall which renditions I heard in the past either to be honest

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Northeast United States runner up for the "Singing Hall of Shame".

How many manus are there that have easily attainable Chicago renditions that'd likely match up to CB or SC ?

I haven't a clue.

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Northeast United States runner up for the "Singing Hall of Shame".

I have 4 versions of the 25 or 6 to 4.

Standing Ovation
Back stage
Legends
Pioneer

The closest by far, is the Pioneer.  The others aren't worth listening to.

It has real horns, the drums, the guitars and the tempo almost exactly to the original.

The Legends sounds like orchestrater horns.   Phoney

The Pioneer is so close i wouldn't be looking for another version.    I only need one to sound original.   This is the version i would play for you or me to sing.  And i do sing it.

I just listened to the Chartbuster version sample, i'm impressed with it.  Real horns, tempo's right, Drums and guitars sound good.   I would play that one.

I can not find a sample of Sound Choice.

SO & BS are one in the same.  BS took over SO years ago!

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Correct versions.

I have 2 versions of "Year Of The Cat"

1. 6:44 long

2. 3:30 long

Different companies.

Do we need to listen to the entire 3 minute instrumental to be the correct most playable version?   Maybe on a slow singer night to waste some time or maybe if it gets dead at the end of the night or maybe when there is nobody there at the beginning of the night.

So is the 3 minute instrumental version politically correct?  Sounds just like the record.

I have them both listed in the book with the time designation.

SoundChoice Rendition-  Don't worry, I didn't damage it with my singing !


http://www.singsnap.com/snap/watchandli ... /c5124f6df


(SC Year of the cat is 6:48.  The Intro starting with the piano is 32 measures)

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Northeast United States runner up for the "Singing Hall of Shame".

I guess in a way "The DISC Manufacturer Is NOT THAT Important To Singers" if they are casual karaoke singers. Also if the song is decent and comparable in it's version. Champagne Super Nova and Lets Stay Together are 2 songs I have heard by different manus that both versions were decent but have 2 totally different endings. It can throw you off a bit, but it's not too bad, I just did a jig at the end and no one noticed!

Okay Steve, I have a request. Since you a Chicago fan, how about a rendition of " I'm a Man " that's a bad jam. Hey Sidewinder, I have that Chart Busters " 25 o 64 " and you are right it is good. Just get tired of twisting my undies to sing it! Rudy.

Rudy and Sidewinder,

  Problem I have is that the CB Horn Rendition of aforementioned song isn't at all realistic, ALTHOUGH the guitar beginning is better on CB.. The horn timbre on SC however is excellent..  For Me,  the deciding factor in a horn band is the timbre and comp of the horns, assuming all else is just about equal..  Also SC is more "alive", it's more vibrant, better dynamics !


So for some 25 of 1 a little over 2 dozen of the other  :)


I won't touch CB after hearing the SC horns,  The Dynamics and arrangement SC has in ths particular case IMHO is far better.   However, Color My world MY preference is CB, because it's a tighter version, and the bass is nice and punchy and for a slow dance song, it's OK... SC in this particular case, bores me

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Northeast United States runner up for the "Singing Hall of Shame".

Ok, the horns aren't that realistic, why is that? Are they done on a keyboard? Are the horn players not up to par, not enough of them? With guitar parts I usually know exactly what's wrong, maybe wrong effects, a mediocre guitarist, sometimes even a hair out of tune. Maybe that's why some disc manufacturers are inconsistent, QUALITY CONTROL. Hey Steve need a side job? I wonder who has the final say so on songs. I bet it would be interesting to see the complete process of making a karaoke song from start ( getting rights ) to end. Somebody call National Geographic!

I am a bit anal about the manus, it is important to me, but not everyone. And that's all I have to say about that. Rudy.

Chartbuster is clearly artificial, but Soundchoice...hmmm
Here's my guess,  Certain strings of actual horn sections for under certain time lengths of the actual Chicago horn sections are covered and paid for by SC under Production, royalty free, sampled, or stock music copy.  Some of that sounds pretty dang close to original IMHO.. Yet the Chicago horn section as copy music has been used for years commercially by television commercials too.. My guess is small sections can be used.

Yeah,  The CB rendition is synthed horns,  I think SC actually used a trombone and chorus on top of perhaps lightly synthed horns, and I'm just guessing, dunno-  either that or the horns were produced on an analog instrument such as a mellotron which is back in existence and the horns are realistic tape loop horns on the Mellotron. I wonder if SC or the cover band were able to somehow utilize some of chicagos horn parts without infringement concerns, perhaps Chicago did some of the studio work for them ?...   Studio musicians might've gotten paid very well to do that song for SC, yet with one or two actual horns layered over synth the mix could be tweaked so sound like that. Cover band with one horn could do that too..  Hat's off to them in such a case !   My guess is they had a VERY good cover band play that. or Chicago wanted to make some money..  That song is protected although 40 years old so it's not fair game..

Perhaps Chicago did their studio work between Bar Mitzvah gigs ??  I'm tempted to just call SC and ask.  The horn arrangements are awfully original sounding

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Northeast United States runner up for the "Singing Hall of Shame".

For me if it sounds like the album version then that's what I go with.  I fit was instrumental endings, these can faded out & as for length of a song 'wasting time', time CAN be made up during a show if you are on your game.

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Kind of a sidebar here but I have always wondered.  I know what 25 is but what the heck is 6 to 4?   Time of day.... yeah right.

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Okay, who took my pants?

light up a joint and we'll discuss the meaning....  LMAO

I always thought it was time of day.


Year of the Cat is long intro not outro.    Can't fade in a song.

According to songfacts:

This was written by Robert Lamm, keyboard player and singer for Chicago. It's about trying to write a song.  The lyrics suggest he is having a tough time.  
The title refers to the time of day. It is either 3:35AM (25 to 4) or 3:34AM (26 to 4). We know it is early morning because of the line "Waiting for the break of day."
In an interview published in the July/August 2000 issue of Performing Songwriter, Robert Lamm said: "'25 or 6 to 4' is really a song about just writing a song, and a reference to time. It was written up in the Hollywood Hills above Sunset; I was living in a house with some other people and I could look out across the city and see flashing lights against the sky."
This still gets a lot of play by college pep bands. The horns and tempo make it a great fit for sporting events.
The band was previously known as Chicago Transit Authority, which was the name of their first album. They shortened their name after the actual Chicago transit authority objected, and began releasing albums with their name followed by a roman numeral (Chicago II, Chicago III, Chicago IV, etc.). They did this throughout their career, even as they morphed from horn-driven rock to adult contemporary ballads ("Hard For Me To Say I'm Sorry," "Baby What A Big Surprise") in the '80s.
This was the last song Chicago played at their concerts. When they toured with Earth, Wind & Fire in 2004, both bands played this as the encore.

There was a rumor that "6 to 4" was a nickname for LSD, because if you dropped acid at 6 PM, the effects of the drug would wear off by 4 AM, 10 hours later.

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I only have  one singer who is a label freak. An older gal and one of the few veterans that I get. She always asks for SC. And that's probably valid in her case, since everything she sings is ancient. It seems like they're the best at oldies.

She's funny. "This place is disgusting!" she'll sneer to me as the ladies are writhing on the dance floor and a couple is making out in a booth. But she keeps coming back because it's busy and the energy level is up.

I've never had anyone sing Chicago or Year Of The Cat. I don't even know if I have Year, or which Chicago songs are in the book. Yikes!!! I'd be in real trouble if I ever did this outside of my home room. Scary.

She's just playing the odds.  Sound Choice probably has a higher rate of right on songs than most.

It goes back to the confort zone thing though.  If the first song she ever sang was a SC and it was a positive reaction she will more than likely stay with it.  

Ask her why she always sings SC.  She may have a totally different reason.  Does she know what she's talking about as far as karaoke disc companies?

She knows some. But like I said it's probably out of experience in her case because quality in oldies seems to be really hit and miss with anything but SC. And I've treated her just like everyone else. I've bought her what she wanted. Pretty much... there's a couple of songs that I've slacked on...

Anyway... man what I'm doing now is even more tedious than the ripping that I did last week. I've got  a ton of discs with no database, and I'm manually having to name every file not accounted for in the computer. Ugh! I'm taking a bit of a break online but I've got to get back to it.

Why no data base?

I've tried FreeDB and a bunch of .org's that came with my ripper and a lot of these newer discs don't have a database.