Karaoke Forums

I've been thinking of ways to get people to sing DIFFERENT songs, other than the ones we hear week after week. I was thinking of putting a page of songs (approximately 40 songs) in the front of my book with songs that are good, but you NEVER hear them sung. I try to sing as many different songs as possible at my shows hoping to give people some ideas, but all I get is "man, I haven't heard that song at karaoke before". People like these songs, but as we ALL know, they sing the same 100 songs. Pi$$es me off, I'm trying to build a decent library, and they just go to waste. I'm talking about GOOD songs by GOOD groups, like was mentioned in another thread, Sinatra, you hear My Way, That's Life, and New York, New York. I'm coming up on 10,000 individual titles, and I'll bet no more than 200 are getting sung. (Ok, that might be an exaggeration), but you know what I'm saying. SO......., I'm looking for a HEADING for this page. Do you think "weekly suggestions" is too straight forward? Do you have any "suggestions" as to the page title? Also do you think this is a BAD idea?

Rosario

Good Idea.

Inspiration

EDIT:

Call it "Songs people are too scared to sing"

I love this idea! What songs are you thinking of?

I'm thinking for me a small list of maybe 10 songs a week. Maybe title it "Scaryoke Songs of the Week". When people in my venue try new songs they always refer to it as karaoke suicide or Scaryoke. Picking the songs is the key. I'm thinking do a couple funny, a few country and a few easy oldies.

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What I was thinking was to get maybe a few from each genre, pop, classic rock, crooners, oldies, ballads, new and old country, etc. Maybe not once a week, but once a month, change the list, OR maybe just expand on it, depending on how good (or bad) it works. I'm thinking this, because a while back I added some "new additions" to the front of my books, then when I re-did my books I incorporated them into the book. One of my regulars came up to me and said "heh, what happened to all the (new) songs in the front of the book"? When I told her that I put them together, she asked "how am I going to find them now" and indicated that she was looking for "new" stuff to sing. Mind you, that I have almost 10,000 individual titles now, so I figured that it was because of the CONVENIENCE of being able to pick from 100 songs rather than 10,000 that made it more desirable for her. So, after thinking it over for a while, I thought this might be the route to take to ENCOURAGE people to sing something out of the norm. I was thinking maybe "FORGOTTEN FAVORITES" might be a good title for them. What do you think?

Rosario

Another thing that might entice that, is if they sing something from that list give them a little something - maybe hit the dollar store for some grab bag giveaway type stuff. Or for that matter anyone that sings and completes a complete suicide song gets a token gift.

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Lonman, you got the brain workin' here. TOKENS!!! I could buy a bag of tokens, like play coins that are thrown out on Mardi Gras, and give tokens whenever someone sings one of these songs. Then maybe once every 3 months, the tokens can be exchanged for GIFTS. I could have gifts worth different amounts. Anything from novelty gifts, to maybe some cheap mics, and even (with enough tokens), like a PG48 or something similar. Who knows, they might have their friends come in to sing, so they can take their tokens. You never know, this just MIGHT work. Thanks for everyone's input, any more ideas?

Rosario

OMG!! that is just simply an "OMG" moment!!! That is a great idea!!!!! holy cow, so simple, yet does what I had an idea of doing for so long.. Hey, thanks peeps for all these great ideas!!

Actually if you are going to do something like that with bigger $$ gifts, how about custom discs. So many tokens per track. Say 10 tokens. They can save up - make it a maximum so it don't coast a ton but most discs can't hold more than 15 songs anyway. Through a reputable company like selectatrack or even Chartbusters own custom site. Then they can order songs for themselves. I don't think most would care about getting a mic, but a singer would love to have their own songs that they could keep & practice.

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Work with the bar and maybe x amount of tokens - free drink or appetizer ?

Department stores rearrange their clothes racks so shoppers see it with new or different clothes in the racks. The same can be done for your book or at least Cover. Make a list in certain categories (rock, hip hop, pop, seasonals etc) add some flair to the cover or books with pics of bands trending now or their names if you fear copyright. Add a list titled Cliched songs so they might fear to sing it due to crowd ridicule. Things like that to add life to your catalog.

Yeah, well maybe to piggyback on this one..., Vary the token value on some of the more difficult songs (or by whatever criteria you deem appropriate). And if they sing "Sukiyaki" by Kyu Sakamoto, they break the bank for the evening.

Just in case you don't remember. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtXQ31F1 ... re=related

Yeah, C'mon! Sing along, you know the words!

Well..., Just a thought.

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EveningStar Entertainment & Events
JR & Michele LaPorte
Peoria, AZ

about a two years ago, i noticed that a disc of mine wasn't listed, so I quickly printed out the tracks and stuck in the back of the book under new additions. I was surprised to find (that although I state if you want to sing it we want to own it) people made a beeline for the disc and it was in continually use until it merged back in with the others on the re-print. Highlighting tracks in someway does help, 10,000 songs is a lot to search though when looking for what to sing.

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'A genius is one who can do anything except make a living'. Joey Adams.

I have done this as well - and always my newest additions are at the front of the books. As soon as I re-sort and re-print to integrate everything people get confused as could be.

The other thing is, tell people something is in alphabetical order and at times I have gotten the most confused look ever - they can't seem to get past the first letter...yipes!

This was always my biggest complaint with companies that either just put another page in or EVEN WORSE just took a picture of the disc cover & stuck it in - saw this more than I can count. As a singer, I always looked at the newest songs added but didn;t want to have to remember which page the song was on, so I always made sure that all new songs were incorporated into a new song list - always alphabatized depending on which book they were in be it artist or title, and always be flagged somehow that they were THE newest songs added.

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No most 20 to 30 year olds are surprisingly ignorant (i'm sorry) and do not know how to read a songbook that is alphabatized by song artist - i'm not trying to offend anybody here, but it seems to be the case. The "Dewey Decimal System" that the libraries used to teach seem to no longer apply. I have never had a problem with my book listings up until about 5 years ago, I ALWAYS listed my artists by FIRST NAME - LAST NAME, but alphabatized under last name - basically if you were looking for Garth Brooks, you would look under B (brooks) for Brooks. The last few years I had so many confused people that didn't know how to look up a song under library rules - quite honestly astonished me. They would always hand me the book more often than not & say this book is so out of order that I cannot find anything, when I asked what they are looking for, they would say (for example) Carrie Underwood, I told them to look under "U" for Underwood - even though it said "Carrie Underwood". I now list the books, last name - first name - sadly STILL have people that do not know how to find a song. What does that say to todays education system? I asked my son AND daughter today WHAT the Dewey Decimal System is, and neither of them knew nor heard of it. That just may be OUR school system, but from what i've experienced from singers over the last few years, I don't think so!
This is more of an OFF TOPIC RANT! Sorry!

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Off topic again, some people have gotten used to computer shows that have every song and they just tell the host what song they want to sing. We get some who don't have a clue that you would need to look in a book to find a song.

I've been asked, "Where do I find songs by Garth Brooks in here?" and replied, "It's in alphabetical order. You have the Artist Book so look under Garth Brooks." "Why?" "Because that's his name." Ohhhhhhh. Too much liquid courage.

On topic, at one time I was going to offer a drink token to anyone who sang off the "New Additions" list but somewhere along the line people just started branching out on their own and I never had to do it. Some people get intimidated by what others are singing and think they have to do old country, too. Once we got a few doing their own thing and requesting new songs, then more followed suit.

Sorry of topic -
Aaarg! I just have to say I hate when someone new comes up and says, " I want to sing so & so song". I usually say I don't know your name can you please fill out a slip. Then the response," I don't have to do that at so & so show.

Or when I don't have a song and they say so & so can just down load it on the spot.

Is it hat hard to look a song up in a book --- Aaarg!

Back to subject now - I will behave - I will behave

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[updown]~*~ MONKEY BUSINESS KARAOKE~*~ [/shadow][/updown][/glow]

"but so & so will kiss my (@$%&#!) all night" said as they polish their diva crown.

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Paradigm Karaoke, The New Standard.......Shift Happens

Well, this is my show and I need a slip.

Again I'm not so and so and I don't have that ability. Nor will I in the foreseeable future (Except Jonathon Coulton songs)

Apparently, it is. If they ask me, I always say,"I don't know (even if I do) There's a book you can check in".
I only give these answers to people who are obviously too lazy to bother to look for themselves. Anyone who truly needs help or is a newbie gets a completely different response.
When the lazy ones complain about it, I just tell them" My job is to get the music, print the books for you to look up songs in and run the show. Your job is to use the books to find the songs and then write them down on the slips so I know what to queue up for you to sing". Same line goes to those who ask me to pick out something for them to sing... Gaaack! I HATE it when people ask that!

On topic? or off?

Several local KJs use a Kamikaze round where the KJ picks a song, and calls the singer up to the stage.

This can be entertaining..

This gets neglected song up and out for the crowd..