Karaoke Forums

I once played bass in a backup band for an Elvis impersonator.  This was the first and last time I'd ever done this.  This Elvis was perfect at nailing the vocals and
mannerisms of the older Elvis.  BUT, he could only sing without problems if he was singing along to his karaoke tapes.  When he tried to sing with the live band, his phrasing and timing went out the window.  It was the weirdest thing, he relied so heavily on subtle little cues from the karaoke tapes.  It was really bad trying to play in front of an audience.  Too many long  awkward pauses in the vocals as he tried to figure out where he was in the song.  The last straw was when he insisted that the band pay for the scarves he would toss out to the audience.  LOL  That was enough of that!  I felt bad for him, he really loved Elvis songs and he was a good guy.

Anybody else out there have problems if they suddenly have to sing to a different karaoke song version or with a band?

Don, this is a VERY common problem I run into accompanying lounge pianist's on bass, horn, or any one of several instruments if these individual's have been playing solo gig's for a long time.. The tempo and sunchronizing with other instruments almost ALWAYS suffer's when musicians get too used to solo gigs and aren't using anything to set their tempo,  some of these folks don't even stay in basic duple, or triple meter.... They do their own thing When and however they please...and forget there's no way a bassist can just "sit in" and follow their whims. I know a few great Jazz pianist's who I'll bet can't even follow a metronome anymore for ANYTHING played. Year's of playing when you just pace yourself makes interaction with other musicians tough.. You get lazy with Tempo. You also stop listening.


(At least he didn't ask you to chip in for his mother's Pink Caddy)

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

i try hard NOT to sound like the artist whos song im singing,sometimes it dont cut the mustard.but when it does i love getting that praise.

Most of the songs I sing are blues, swing, jazz and are ones Ive never heard before (and often nobody else either for that matter)so I just do my own thing with them. Plus being that they are mostly blues songs, I could NEVER even hope to approach duplicating original artist styles and voices (I mean how can a fat middle-aged white guy even HOPE to duplicate the great Muddy Waters, Buddy Guy or Bobby Blue Bland). So I try to just make an aproximation and sing to the rythem and create my own inflections and psuedo arrangements. Go listen to my posts on SS to get an idea of what I mean.

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"You know that I sing the Blues and I do not suffer fools. When I'm on that silver mic, it's gonna cut ya, just like a knife"-The SWINGCAT

which btw, i wonnnnnn hands down....

....but i'll give him this...the man can sound just like conway, elvis, waylon or even willie........i listened to a song he did as a duet between willie and waylon.....i really thot he was singing to a track that already had willie on it and believe me i know willie's voice and i know billy's....i hate people like that, it's easy for him, but he'll take a song and do it completely different from the original...enough about him...who cares?  

i don't try to sound like the original singer, but i don't try NOT to either....i just learn it and sing it.....i like to listen to different people sing the same song and hopefully pick up some good nuances and such from them....

Like I'd mentioned Jeanne,  When I first heard him do "The Letter", It sounded IDENTICLE to Joe Cocker's version..  In fact I had to do a head to head with Joe Cocker's song, and BIlly..... ALthough he wasn't trying, He NAILED Joe Cocker's rendition of the Box Tops song...It was VERY difficult to hear a difference between Billy's voice timbre, and Joe Cocker's in that particular song.. Truly amazing. Most could not tell a difference !  seriously.. His singing ability is up there with just about any pro.

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

now didn't i just say who cares?!  

heh heh  he knowsssss i'm his biggest fan.....but really...enough ok?  ;)

in all seriousness though....it amazes me how some people can mimic dead on.....i loved watching rich little impersonate other singers.....

btw......sabra can now mimic the sound of me typing on my keyboard as well as my laughs and chuckles.... ....i had to move her cage back downstairs......

,  you REALLY have to be VERY careful with EVERY sound made around those little creatures !!!   Door hinges, toilet's flushing, coughing, expletives, you name it.... Compressor noises on a bad fridge...mail boxes slamming when the mail carrier delivers the mail...and about the worst.... They mimic the phone ringing...

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

This is  a varience on the subject but I have sang in clubs where the original artist sang such as Hank Wiiliams.. All of a sudden you feel all the emotions and feel that hank is singing thru you...It is not a mimic but singing the song like it should be.. Anybody else experienced this?

To me, it's all important, mimicking. I know everyone says that karaoke is just for fun, so do your own thing. But I've heard so many people at karaoke night doing a helluva job mimicking the actual artists, it's hard to believe that anyone wants to just get up and blurt out a popular song without atleast trying to come as close to the original as possible. Exceptions are gender/benders.
Now I have heard some men sing a recognizable song that doesn't even come close to the original in voice or style, so I assumed that this was just a first try, or a scenario where they were a victim of the critique section of a popular singer exposure website somewhere?
Now women singers always seem better to me than any other singers, (dogs/cats/wounded chipmunks/beached whales etc...). Women have tremendous capability IMO. I've never heard a totally terrible rendition of any original artist at karaoke night by a woman. Well, I take that back, there was this one, but I don't know if she was for real or not. It seems like women take their music seriously and practice more to perfect a song. The reason I say that is, If I request a certain song from a woman, and they don't really know the song, they won't try it until it's practiced in private first. So now, who really has the biggest ego, men or women?
Oh gawd, I'm killin' myself here.
On the same note, I'm exactly the same way. I'm absolutely terrified to try a song that I haven't had time to practice. I guess I'm in this for entertaining the listeners as much as wanting to enjoy doing the singing. Everyone says they don't really care what others think, I say, sure you do. What's better, making people feel good about a song that you sang so much that they compliment you for your effort, or standing up there watching people pointing or snickering and then hearing the kj sugar-coat your feelings by saying...nice job so and so...everybody give so and so a hand?
I don't particularly care for someone taking a good popular song and adding their own twists to it, it makes the listening experience seem weird to me, but that's just me. It's kind of like thinking...oh I am so much better than the original artist, so now, I'll just steal this song and call it mine.
I haven't seen anyone on American Idol make it past the judges by not mimicking an actual artist either. If the judges don't feel the song as something they recognize and appreciate, they give 'em the boot. Not to say that a person's voice quality hasn't landed them a spot in the game before. That's why that competition is so 2 sided IMO, you could be good and not get a chance, or you could not carry a tune in a bucket, but just appeal as a laughing stock depending on what the judges moods were that day.
I'm here to say, I'm trying my best to mimic an actual artist, if I can't do it, the song gets the boot. My entertainment in a karaoke bar is watching/hearing others mimic original artists as closely as possible. If you can't, keep looking for songs that fit your voice, you'll get there someday.  :wink:

I know this reply will come back to haunt me later, but I'm just being honest here.

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Live Fast, Run Hard and Enjoy Life, you're only here for a short time. Respect you're neighbor and Hope they respect you, if they don't, they're not worth your time. Keep a song in your heart and a smile on your face. Peace and Love to you all!

One more thing, The biggest fear I hear from people that have never sang karaoke is, "I can't sing." the second remark I usually hear is "I don't sound like ( insert artist here )"  To encourage new singers and get everyone involved I  don't feel the singers should be expected to immitate the artist. If you want to hear the original version of a song, Go to a concert or listen to a CD. Don't go to a karaoke show. After all, it's just a lot of people having fun, while they "DRINK ALCOHOL" and "SING". It's Karaoke, it's about Fun. Catch the "Spirit"

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Live Fast, Run Hard and Enjoy Life, you're only here for a short time. Respect you're neighbor and Hope they respect you, if they don't, they're not worth your time. Keep a song in your heart and a smile on your face. Peace and Love to you all!

I said this reply would come back to haunt me....

The thing I said about adding personal twists to a song is what I'm referring to now, but I can't take it back.  :(

I have heard a few songs in the showcase here before and commented about a twist in the style or vocal timing etc...
This doesn't mean that I lied to that individual when I stated that I really like their rendition, I did like it. I guess it depends on how it affects the outcome of the particular song. Some songs sound okay not done exactly as the original. But voice quality, timing, and overall presentation is what determines how "I" feel about a song while hearing it. It's just the ones that where the singer seems so over-confident in their ability that they can just throw a curve to a song and ruin it for the listener.

I just wanted to clarify that before I'm castrated here.  :biggrinthumb:

I think its kinda nice to do your own thing. But sometimes you really do sound like the singer, you can't help it, it just happens.  I have been told I sound like Debbie Harry and Dido (yes, there a mixture for you !!).  I don't try to sing like them, but depending on the song, I just do !!!  

Oh well, who cares anyway as long as you enjoy singing the song

Di  :dancin:

very much so.  it's interesting. i never talked about this phenomenon before, but i'm glad to know i'm not the only one who experiences it.  are there times where you sing a song just because something tells you you should, and you are able to hit notes that are well out of your range?  it's an eerie feeling!

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All work and no play make Homer something something

I'm not trying to CASTRATE anyone here, just the word makes me nervous.but in the opening of your post you said, "it's hard to believe that anyone wants to just get up and blurt out a popular song without at least trying to come as close to the original as possible" That just sounded a little to decisive or unyielding to me.
When I'm trying to learn a song, I listen to it over & over again until I can hear the artist in my head while I try to duplicate their sound, but after I'm comfortable with "certain"  songs, I go a little crazy and put my own "Twist" to them.
I'm constantly trying to get my singers to sing new songs, so I'm always up to trying new stuff. I've even sang songs that I've never heard before I sang them. Listen to the music, try to hit the right key and "Make It Your Own", That's all you can do. It's always turned out well and I even got a standing ovation after one of the songs.
I sing for the fun of it. Sometimes I'm pretty good and sometimes I stink but I think I always manage to make the audience enjoy what I'm doing. I know I'm having a BLAST. Catch the "Spirit"

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Live Fast, Run Hard and Enjoy Life, you're only here for a short time. Respect you're neighbor and Hope they respect you, if they don't, they're not worth your time. Keep a song in your heart and a smile on your face. Peace and Love to you all!

I find it really hard not to try singing like the original artist when you hear the song over and over again especially when only one artist do'es any peticular song.
When I first got my karaoke machine and had just a few disks I was going through all the songs and come across Seven Spanish Angels.  Well I never heard it before so I figured I will just try doing it my way.  I sang it a few times the way I thought it should be and people listening told me they really liked it.  Now when I go to karaoke and if I feel like singing it which is not to often people really comment  on it.  Maybe if I sound like someone it would sound more like the way Marty Robbins would sing it and not Willy Nelson.  Yes I am guilty of trying perform it like the original artist, but hey we're having fun so all I can say to all you Karaokiers we're in it for fun and entertainment.  So lets keep it that way and hey what a excellent pass time.  Mikey

I can relate to that. One of my first karaoke songs I did was Silver wings. I had never heard it before, and didnt know how it was supposed to sound. I do a good job with it but its completely different than when Merle does it.

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I'm Not Dead yet...... But every day Im getting Closer !

oops

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I'm Not Dead yet...... But every day Im getting Closer !

All the new songs Im singing and when I think Im doing them right Ill listen to the original artists version..  And alot of songs I learned from other karaoke singers...




 Yup and I have seen others doing it When they are singing they are in a different place and time.....