Karaoke Forums

Chuck,

I can read music but not enough to hurt my playing (Peter Seeger said that first but it applies to me as well and I like the way he put it.)

Were you by any chance a Navy boot in San Diego?  When I was there, about the time of the Spanish/American war I think it was, I sang in the Bluejackets Choir.  We had a civilian conductor and we sang for boot camp graduations, parades and in church on Sundays.  Back in those days there weren't any Waves in the choir.

Larry

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"Life is too short for diet soda and lite beer"

Karaoke kind of creeped into my life.

I used to go to the bar every Friday night to play pool. It was an addiction of
mine. They started having karaoke every Friday. I'd sing a song here or there
when I wasn't playing pool. People would ask me to sing more and more. Next thing I
knew I was subbing for the KJ. It's weird how somethings in life just happen.

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[shadow=pink][glow=deepskyblue]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
[updown]~*~ MONKEY BUSINESS KARAOKE~*~ [/shadow][/updown][/glow]

I was lucky, I went to Orlando. We even got sing the cadence when we were marching. Giligan's island was a hit, lion sleeps tonight was kinda popular too, but when I transposed the tempo of Warpigs by Black Sabbath, I got into some trouble.

Our director was civilian also. That was cool, he didn't have to follow the rules as closely so we had a break in class ourselves. I even got to march "waves" back to class after breakfast. That was nice. I always found some excuse to drop back a few paces while marching and just happen to notice the swinging fannies.

Chuck,

Orlando wasn't even a boot camp when I was in.  But if you have to go through boot camp the choir is the only way to go.  We too sang cadence while we marched.  We also didn't have to stand in line to go to chow and we got one extra liberty.

I was lucky and they made me the RCPO because I was tall so I didn't have to march in ranks—it's a whole lot easier out there to the side.  One of the biggest thrills of my life was taking the choir to what was then Jack Murphy stadium in San Diego for a benefit they were doing to raise money for a new USO in San Diego.  The headliner was Bob Hope.  Also on the bill were Raquel Welch (terrible singer, worse dancer—nobody cared), Andy Williams (without his hot French wife), a band called Harper's Bizzare and a very talented lady named Kay Stevens.

We marched into the stadium singing Anchor's Away and received a standing ovation from an SRO crowd.  

I think that sitting 15 feet from Racquel Welch that night probably had an effect on my development.   To this day I remain convinced that she was somehow sadder after she looked deep into my eyes, saw the love and devotion there, and knew that we could never be togther.  After all, I was a Navy man headed out to who knew where in the middle of a war.  There was a chance I might never return.  (pause while I wipe away a tear).  I think our relationship was also affected by the fact that in 40 years she's never called once despite the fact that my name has been right there in the phone book.

Anyway, that's what I tell myself.

Larry

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"Life is too short for diet soda and lite beer"

Raquel Welch, omg. She looked a lot like an early girlfriend of mine.

In bootcamp there were two of us who could hit the low notes in Eternal Father. That actually made it sound really cool. I was the smallest guy in the bass section standing only 5'10". The other "gentlemen" were mostly from DC and didn't like a skinny pale little guy tellin' them what to do. So I didn't tell them what to do very often. Those guys were scary.

Mmm Raquel Welch. Sorry, I wasn't day dreamin' about your unrequited love. I usually say her name instead of the old girlfriend to avoid trouble. Here's a hint though, Looking Glass had a song that used her name as the title and it wasn't too different from the whole relationship we had. Yes her father was a sailor too.

Sorry to get so far off topic Steve. That girl loved to hear me sing. There, I hope that helps.

I used to find Raquel Welch attractive until I found out a secret that the media somehow is still managing to keep from the public...  It not only blew my mind,  but shattered my attraction for her...



SAME PERSON !

"Raquel Welch" is the Scottish phrase for "Androgenousnessly attractive" person


.

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

OMG, I never knew. That means that my old girlfriend was hotter than Raquel and my GiGi is even hotter than her.

Extra cool.

Oh man Chuck you are really bringing back some memories today.  I can't hear that Looking Glass song (don't worry, I won't say her name) without thinking about a young woman I knew when I was stationed at Great Lakes.  

She worked as a waitress at the enlisted men's club on mainside.  All the guys were crazy about her.  But she was married and wouldn't give any of them a tumble.  Her husband was in the service and stationed in Europe somewhere.  She was too skinny and her nose was crooked but there was something about her that made you want to get on a big white horse and slay dragons just to keep her safe.  Talk about a fairly princess—she was it.

I was just as crazy about her as everyone else but I was too shy to make any type of direct approach but for some reason she used to like to sit down and talk to me on her breaks.  

I was suffering from a knee problem at the time and they finally decided to put me in the hospital and then they decided to do surgery.  This all happened pretty fast so I never got a chance to go to the club and tell anyone I wouldn't be in for awhile.

Several weeks later I had surgery.  They gave me a general anisthetic (is that how you spell that) and when I woke up she was sitting by my bed holding my hand.  It would have been a perfect moment except that a girl I had dated a few times was sitting on the other side of the bed holding my other hand.  The two were staring daggers at each other.

It was a while before I got my bearings straight and the girl I had been dating got up and left for awhile.  The fairy princess and I talked for a time and she told me all of the things she wanted to do with me when I was able to walk again.  We made plans for a moonlight stroll beside Lake Michigan.  Then she kissed me and left.

I don't know what happened next.  I never saw her again.  When I was able to get around again I went back to the club.  They told me she had moved away.  No one knew where.  Now some 38 years later I can't be sure of whether she had ever really been there or not.

The song by Looking Glass always brought to mind a barroom full of sailors and a young girl, who's heart belonged to someone far away, serving them—not unlike what happened at the enlisted men's club.  And so it's always reminded me of her.

There is a postscript to this story.  Some 25 years later I was in Chicago on business.  A friend of mine and I were out bar hopping one night.  We were at a place called Studebaker's (Walter Payton owned it) and we were about to leave when two couples came in.  To this day I swear that one of the ladies was my fairy princess.  For two hours I couldn't move, talk, think . . . anything.  I regret not asking her if she was my princess.  But she was with a guy who was obviously her husband.  I didn't want to make trouble for her or for me.  Maybe I didn't say anything because I had carried her memory with me for so many years.  I will say this, though, if it had been her and if she had asked me to go away with her I would have.


Geez, Chuck, I haven't thought of her in a long while.  It's a kind of bittersweet memory.

Larry

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"Life is too short for diet soda and lite beer"

Wow, loss for words. Man, that was cool.

I go to a karaoke bar because I am not a heavy drinker... I can't go to a bar and entertain myself by drinking... I can drink while I entertain myself though! I love singing for people, I got hooked on the performing bug the first time I ever went to karaoke, when I got asked by the KJ if I was interested in some studio time (nothing ever came of that, I moved and he took sick) It was then I realized that at least SOME people want to hear me. I love going with friends as well and making them sing (especially if they don't usually). I dunno, singing is my passion and it's fun to make an evening of it, beats sitting on meh butt watching the tube right??  :dancin:

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Te audire no possum. Musa sapientum fixa est in aure. (I can't hear you. I have a banana in my ear.)

i am a ham by nature and singing is just one more reason to get up on stage. since i lover acting, and am a fair dancer (okay, i was until i got over-rubenesque) it was a natural progression. and you don't have to audition.

as for the unnamed fair lady that chuck mentioned, i know her name. and all i can say is this...she was stupid enough to let a good man get away so she deserves whatever misery she gets out of life.

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[glow=darkorchid]Musica delenit bestiam feram[/glow]

EDIT TMI

EDIT TMI

ATM - you're so nosy.  LMAO

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[shadow=pink][glow=deepskyblue]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
[updown]~*~ MONKEY BUSINESS KARAOKE~*~ [/shadow][/updown][/glow]

Yes I am.

I think it has to do with everyone's need for recognition and some uplifting, positive attention.   We get negative at our jobs, we get negative if you and the other half aren't getting alone, we get negative if the bills our out of control, we get negative with the news and the crime rates, we get negative about the war and terrorism.   WE need a break to get away to karaoke heaven, even if it's just a few hours.   Music soothes the savage beast.    Singing gives us a feeling of accomplishment.    Even if it's only in our minds, we are the best singer there.   We are in the spotlight, the entertainer extraordinaire.  :wave:

I love to go out singing karaoke cause when I do it as a KJ I have to sing songs that I would normally not sing....you know the faster paced songs to liven things up a bit.

I like to entertain people but try to blend in when I'm a KJ as my show is all about the customer not me. I will however sing a request for my customers entertainment If they ask. Otherwise I only sing if we have a small rotation or it needs to have some upbeat stuff to get the show moving.

When I go out to sing as a singer I get to sing exactly what I want to sing when its my turn. I release alot of stress by singing with emotion and from the core. My wife loves it when I sing to her and I like bringing a smile to her face.

When I first started out singing karaoke I was a horrible singer but really enjoyed doing it. I figured I better get good or be content with forever being a burden to everyones ears so I bought a karaoke system for home and practiced 3 hours a day for months. I finally got good and I was hooked forever

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FlipSide Karaoke
Scott

what is this secret you are speaking of?