Karaoke Forums

Gigi,

1.  BD is the one who limits his book:  No Paradise, no 50 Cent, no etc. etc. etc.
2.  I never suggested that any track be left out of any catalog; to the contrary, I said that I've come to the conclusion that when I start KJing my catalog will include everything I own. While those in the business surely have a more extensive collection than I, I am glad to say that I own 18 distinct Merle Haggard tracks and 54 accredited to Frankie Sinatra!  Is that adequate enough?
3.  My comment about BD's catalgo having "too much of.....to my taste", simply reflected my personal tastes.  I don't sing songs by or enjoy hearing songs by those singers.
4.  And while I think I already own the best version of Paradise by The Dashboard Light, I just ordered a CDG just to get the DK version of it! 
5.  BD's biggest problem is, in fact, just what you have suggested some of us might be doing  -- not giving others enough credit.  He implied, for example, that if a KJ doesn't go through his/her catalog and cull out the tracks that don't match the "radio version", that KJ is not doing his/her job.  Many participating in this thread took issue with that and for a multitude of reasons.
6. Now... If BD had simply said, "I list only the track I THINK is the best", without claiming he knows which ones are closest to the "radio version" and that KJ's who list every track are lazy and unprofessional, there probably would have been little rancor created.
7. The fact that BD makes, in general, what many more knowledgeable and experienced than I feel are outlandish, unsupportable claims doesn't help.  I for one, will not be drawn into any future "debates" with him.

BD IS an entertainer!

I find ALL his WHINING, WHIMPERING, BELLYACHING, BYTCHING, GRIPING, OUTLANDISH CLAIMS, SUPERIOR ATTITUDES and PUTDOWNS TO BE HIGHLY AMUSING!!

He TRULY is a GREAT ENTERTAINER!!!!  

PERHAPS THE GREATEST "ENTERTAINER" WE'VE EVER SEEN ON KS!!!

TRULY ONE FOR THE AGES!!!

 LMAO  LMAO  LMAO  LMAO  LMAO

_________________
"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

20+ years experience KJing "my way"....you know, playing buffer music, having a FULL selection of music including rap, hip/hop, etc. and other things known to kill a karaoke show.

_________________
All work and no play make Homer something something

I didn't say you have to do anything as I do.     You haven't even done one gig yet and you know more than me.     That is an incredible feat and I commend you for it.....  :worship:

I list the most musically correct versions to;

1.   Not look like a wannabe jerk that has to list songs 25 different ways to make it look like they have an extensive library, when infact they have nothing.

2.    The most musically correct version listing, is the most practical way to do it.    Who wants to wade through 25 crap versions of a song, to find one they can sing to that sounds like the one they remember?    I am concerned about my sound.   A crappy song version does nothing to enhance my sound.  It makes me look and sound like jerk.     Too cheap to buy the good, high quality sounding version?????  

3.    9,500 one-of-a-kind songs is an extensive library, listed in my customer song book, by the best musically correct version.   With 15-16,000 songs listed in my master books.   Containing all the dupe crappier versions, for people with bad hearing.

4.   You indeed have every right to run your show they way you feel is correct.   I'm telling you from my 14 years experience, how I run and maintain a very fun and structured show.  That isn't filled with songs about cop killers and songs about mothers, dope dealers, blatant sex and screaming and swearing like drunken sailors, all night long.   If that is the show you want to achieve then indeed, you must list every song in the world.    Let the crowd dictate your reputation.   See how far you get with that philosophy.      I am nothing.    I have no credibility.    No KJ experience.     Just a wannabe loser hack.    That has worked more steady than all of my competition and has made many, many tens of thousands of dollars, screwing everything up.....  :O

Put your vast knowledge about karaoke on the head of a pin and show me how wonderful, you think you are going to be, someday......  

Where you are,... I was....

Where I am, you will never be...  :O


Karaoke hasn't been around 20 years, unless you are Japanese.   Well what is it?  

OH MY GOD>>>>It was you that brought karaoke to the states.  :O    :worship:  :worship:

Please forgive my ignorance.  I didn't recognize you, your highness.  :worship:  :hug:  :hug: <<<kneeling in the submissive position of reverence...>>>>   I am truly honored to be in your presence.  :worship:   er... a...   All that stuff.... you know ...a.... er...  I said about being the World's Greatest KJ thing.... an' all..... that was just a joke...  :O  please forgive me... please...

Everyone has made good points.  I call myself a KJ Host and an Entertainer, I do enjoy to sing, but I leave singing up to my singers. I do occasionally sing two or three songs a night, if it is dead.  Like the rest of you, I've been in the karaoke seen for quite some time, seen great KJs with bad shows and seen horrible KJs with great shows.  I takes the people around you, it takes the atmosphere of the bar/club your in. My suggestion is "if it works, don't change it".  I don't consider myself great, I don't have a huge EGO, I like to entertain, I like to see people with smiles on their faces. If I don't see people having fun I try changing what I'm doing, like playing filler music. Unless you are working at a "Karaoke" bar you need to play some music, let the Ladies Dance. Not everyone in the bar wants to sing all the time. Enjoy what you are doing, Don't think of it as a job. Think of it as getting paid to have fun.  Of course this is my opinion.  Feel free to criticize me, I've heard it all before.

Well, I read all through this thread and didn't find anyone who KJs the way I do.  I think the job of the KJ is to be nether entertainer nor Host.  Teacher and chief party animal, that would be me.  I am loud and uninhibited and drunk on my donkey by the end of the night, but always listening and watching for what the singer might need.  Are they holding the mic wrong?  Do they need the first few notes to get them started?  "You know, you might try taking a breath before..." as they walk off stage.  These are not professional singers but people who were given license to stand in front of a group and in effect say "Look at Me Look at Me!" by virtue of having a microphone in their fist.
If everything goes well, you take a collection of stangers and turn them int a group by the end of the night.  And if it goes really right, a happy drunken naked group.

I see what I'm going to change.  :worship:  :worship:  :worship:  :O  :drool:

xweed, I like the way you do things. I too get a little stupid hoping I can make it home in time to go to work in the morning. We are here to have fun.

what  do you mean karoake hasn't been around 20 years?  are you an idiot?  wait, don't answer that! i already know the answer.  i've been SINGING karaoke for well over 20 years...in the states!  i've been KJing for over 20 years, since '85.  i guess your math is about as good as your karaoke show.

_________________
All work and no play make Homer something something

Thanks, Short and Ex

Your "late" posts have actually provided me with the most food for thought and both relate  a good bit to what I believe I have figured out.

Why do I hang around shows where people, in my opinion, sing too much Elvis, Diamond, Sinatra?  Why do I go to out to a show when I not up to singing?

WHY???  Because I like the people, I like the KJ and I like the place.

So let me get this straight Eric---your one of those that goes to karaoke and does not sing or participate..........probly dont drink exceessivly either and run up huge bar tabs, and maybe likes listenening to the background music???

Hmmmm...............better not go to a BD show with those attitudes....get u thrown out on your behind!!

(According to him)

_________________
"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

Karaoke didn't make it to the "right" coast until about 18 years ago.    That's the only place that matters.


Yes you are absolutely right.   There are no non drinkers, no non singers, no fun of any kind.    Just singers that want you to play dance music all night, so they never get to sing.    So don't think you're going to come around and screw up my jobs.  :O

down here we it wasn't really called karaoke at that time.  it was called music minus one or something like that.  i can't remember exactly what we called it.

_________________
All work and no play make Homer something something

How many years before you had words on a TV screen?     They use to sing along with a cassette and printed words.    I heard about it, but never saw it.   My first exposure was with a guy that had DK karaoke discs.  After seeing him for about six months I decided to start my own business and I bought the Pioneer Laser discs to start with.

that's exactly how we did it.  the cassettes in a player, words printed and sittin' on a music stand.  that was his "system"  we didn't even have micropohones at first.  his folks got them for us for christmas that year.  couple years later they came out with the PKL system.  i got one of those....after that it was all over but the cryin'!

_________________
All work and no play make Homer something something

Hi All,

I kind of new to the KJ biz. But here are my findings from the few shows that I have done.

The DRINKING crowd.
The drinking crowd usually needs a little entertainment before they've ingested enough courage to sing. You may need to entertain them to get the rotation going. I've noticed that with the proper mix of participants who will sing sober and the host singing, everyone else start to look in the books for a song to sing.

The Religious Crowd
This I've found very challenging. Getting the rotation started is something to master. But once you get them started, I've found that there is a lot of natural talent in the crowd. Here, trying to get them started by singing myself can sometimes backfire. If you sing too well, I've found this crowd to become very intimidated and not want to sing behind you. Actually, this can happen in any crowd if you're not careful.

Everyone else is somewhere in between. And like I said, if you're a singing host, be very careful not to scare the potential singers.

Just my humble experiences.

The Crooner.

 That's pretty much my philosophy for my shows. I am very gracious of my singers and am very complimentary of them. They love it. I only sing when I have to, or when there's no one really there.

_________________
Snare drum pounds on the two and four
All the party people get on the floor

What do you call a KJ that lets all of their friends sing many times in a rotation?     And ignoring the new singers.   Thereby chasing away income for the bar owner.

Host?

Entertainer?

Facilitator?

Hack?

How bout Sabotuer??

_________________
"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

[font=Trebuchet MS]Incompetent[/font]

_________________
[shadow=tomato]If you want your significant other to pay attention to EVERY word you say::
  TALK IN YOUR SLEEP   [/shadow]